The age-adjusted U.S. death rate fell 4.6% to a record-low 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2025, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An estimated 3,094,593 deaths occurred during the year, up by about 21,900 from 2024 even as the population-adjusted mortality rate declined.

The difference between the count and the rate reflects how the two measures work. The total counts every recorded death, while the age-adjusted rate accounts for population size and age structure, allowing a more consistent comparison between years.

Death rates declined from 2024 for every age group and for both males and females, the National Center for Health Statistics found.

Mortality remained higher among men

The age-adjusted death rate for males was 811.1 per 100,000, compared with 582.9 for females.

That placed the male rate about 39% higher than the female rate.

Mortality rose sharply with age. Children ages 5 to 14 had the lowest rate, at 14.0 deaths per 100,000, while people ages 85 and older had the highest, at 12,787.5 per 100,000.

Even among the oldest group, however, the rate declined from 13,834.0 in 2024.

Racial disparities persisted

Black Americans had the highest age-adjusted death rate among the racial and ethnic groups reported, at 869.0 deaths per 100,000 people.

The rate was 724.2 for White Americans, 500.7 for Hispanic Americans and 366.6 for Asian Americans.

The CDC reported the lowest rate among people identifying with more than one race, at 187.3 per 100,000, but warned that changes in population-estimation methods may have had an outsized effect on smaller population groups.

Rates decreased for several racial and ethnic groups but increased among American Indian and Alaska Native people, from 786.1 to 803.8, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander people, from 682.7 to 746.0.

The change for Asian Americans was not statistically significant.

These gaps add context to broader concerns about unequal U.S. health outcomes. Previous StatsJournalist coverage of healthcare performance among wealthy countries also highlighted differences in life expectancy and preventable mortality.

Heart disease remained the leading cause

Heart disease was the leading underlying cause of death in 2025, accounting for 694,708 deaths.

Cancer ranked second with 622,832 deaths, followed by unintentional injuries with 184,265.

Stroke caused 171,427 deaths, while chronic lower respiratory diseases accounted for 148,408 and Alzheimer disease for 116,794.

Deaths attributed to heart disease and cancer both increased in number from 2024, despite the decline in the overall age-adjusted mortality rate.

Influenza and pneumonia moved from the 11th-leading cause in 2024 to the eighth-leading cause in 2025, with 56,511 deaths.

Why it matters

The record-low rate indicates that mortality declined after adjusting for changes in the size and age of the U.S. population.

The improvement was broad, reaching every age group, but it did not remove persistent differences by sex, race and ethnicity.

The findings also show why total deaths and mortality rates can move in different directions. An aging or growing population can produce more deaths even while an individual’s population-adjusted risk declines.

The figures remain provisional

The analysis covers more than 99% of 2025 death records received and processed by the National Center for Health Statistics as of May 10, 2026.

The CDC cautioned that final totals could rise as delayed records arrive, particularly for causes such as unintentional injuries.

Death-certificate reporting speed differs among jurisdictions, while race and ethnicity may be misclassified in some records.

The Census Bureau also changed the population estimates used to calculate rates between 2024 and 2025. The CDC said comparisons involving smaller racial groups should therefore be interpreted cautiously until final mortality and population figures are available.