Injuries and Violence are Leading Causes of Death: Key Data & Statistics
In the United States, injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 1-44.1
The Burden
The consequences of injury are considerable and costly to public health:
- In 2007, 182,479 persons died from injuries.1
- In 2007, 2,855,000 persons were hospitalized for an injury.2
- That same year, 29,757,000 persons were treated for nonfatal injuries in U.S. hospital emergency departments.1
In 2005, injuries accounted for an estimated $406 billion in medical and work loss costs, including deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits where the patient was treated and released.3
This pie chart illustrates the percent cost of injury by mechanism (cause):
The Impact on America’s Youth and Young Adults
Injuries and violence affect us all, but three quarters of all deaths among young people are the result of injuries and violence.
- Among persons aged 1–34 years, unintentional injuries alone claim more lives than any other cause.1
- For those aged 5–34 in the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death, claiming the lives of 18,266 Americans each year.1
- For 15–24 year olds, homicide is the second leading cause of death and claims more than 8,500 lives each year; suicide is the third leading cause of death among this group and claims 4,140 lives each year.1
- For 25–34 year olds, suicide is the second leading cause of death, and homicide is the third leading cause of death.1
While injuries and violence cause death and disability, it is possible to prevent them. For more information about injuries and CDC’s response, visit the following sites:
- WISQARS™ (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) WISQARS™ is an interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury data from a variety of trusted sources.
- Saving Lives and Protecting People from Injuries and Violence Injuries and violence affect everyone, regardless of age, race, or economic status. For Americans 1 to 44 years of age, injuries are the number-one killer. In fact, people in that age group are more likely to die from an injury—such as a motor vehicle crash, fall, or homicide—than from any other cause, including cancer, HIV, or the flu.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online] (2007) [cited 2011 Mar 4]. Available from URL: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). National hospital discharge survey: 2007 summary. National health statistics reports, no. 29. Atlanta, GA: NCHS; 2010.
- Finkelstein EA, Corso PS, Miller TR, Associates. Incidence and economic burden of injuries in the United States. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2006.
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