Leading Causes of Death - Young Adults
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Leading causes of death in the United States - young adults
The top three causes, Unintentional injury (accidents), Assault (homicide) and Self inflicted injury (suicide), accounted for close to three quarter (61.58 percent) of all deaths among young adults (ages 25 through 29) in 2002. Note that automobile accident is the number one cause of death in this age group, accounting for about 20%.
Top 20 Causes of Death - Young Adult (25 - 29)
Rank Cause of Death Total Deaths No of Deaths Percent
All Deaths 17959 17959 100.00%
1 Unintentional Injury 6122 34.09%
* MV Traffic 3650 20.32%
* Poisoning 1310 7.29%
* Drowning 227 1.26%
* Fall 130 0.72%
* Fire/burn 113 0.63%
* Other Spec., classifiable 94 0.52%
* Suffocation 87 0.48%
* Firearm 75 0.42%
* Other Land Transport 70 0.39%
* Other Transport 69 0.38%
* Pedestrian, Other 64 0.36%
* Unspecified 63 0.35%
* Struck by or Against 59 0.33%
* Natural/ Environment 43 0.24%
* Machinery 31 0.17%
* Other Spec., NEC 27 0.15%
* Pedal cyclist, Other 6 0.03%
* Cut/pierce 4 0.02%
2 Homicide 2514 14.00%
3 Suicide 2423 13.49%
4 Malignant Neoplasms 1258 7.00%
5 Heart Disease 1076 5.99%
6 HIV 500 2.78%
7 Diabetes Mellitus 229 1.28%
8 Congenital Anomalies 213 1.19%
9 Cerebrovascular 183 1.02%
10 Influenza & Pneumonia 135 0.75%
11 Septicemia 119 0.66%
12 Chronic Respiratory Disease 116 0.65%
13 Nephritis 107 0.60%
14 Anemias 83 0.46%
15 Complicated Pregnancy 82 0.46%
16 Liver Disease 77 0.43%
17 Benign Neoplasms 62 0.35%
18 Viral Hepatitis 37 0.21%
19 Hypertension 36 0.20%
20 Pneumonitis 31 0.17%
All Others 2556 14.23%
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Data Source: National Center for Health Statistics
National Vital Statistics Reports March 7, 2005