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Leading Causes of Death in Males, 2014 (current listing)

Leading Causes of Death (LCOD) by Age Group, White Males-United States, 2014*

White Males, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart disease 24.6
2) Cancer 23.6
3) Unintentional injuries 6.5
4) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.6
5) Stroke 4.0
6) Diabetes 2.9
7) Suicide 2.7
8) Alzheimer’s disease 2.3
9) Influenza and pneumonia 2.0
10) Chronic liver disease 1.9

*Percent of total deaths in the race category due to the disease indicated. The white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

The 2014 mortality data file was updated to include amended information from Tennessee and Massachusetts affecting 125 records previously coded to Accidental discharge of firearms (W32-W34). Additionally, data by state of residence are affected in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia for records where the death occurred in Tennessee or Massachusetts but the decedent was a resident of another state. Leading-cause rankings by state have been corrected and are available from the NVSS Mortality Tables.

Tap table below to expand ages 1-44

Ages 1-44 by Age Group – White Males
Rank Age 1-4 Age 5-9 Age 10-14 Age 15-19 Age 20-24 Age 25-34 Age 35-44
1 Unintentional injuries 35.9% Unintentional injuries 35.0% Unintentional injuries 28.2% Unintentional injuries 44.5% Unintentional injuries 49.9% Unintentional injuries 44.0% Unintentional injuries 27.9%
2 Birth defects 10.1% Cancer 20.3% Suicide 17.7% Suicide 24.9% Suicide 21.3% Suicide 18.2% Heart disease 14.8%
3 Cancer 9.8% Birth defects 6.5% Cancer 15.1% Homicide 7.6% Homicide 7.2% Heart disease 6.2% Suicide 13.4%
4 Homicide 7.2% Homicide 3.3% Birth defects 5.5% Cancer 5.7% Cancer 4.5% Cancer 5.8% Cancer 11.3%
5 Heart disease 2.9% Heart disease 2.3% Homicide 4.4% Heart disease 2.5% Heart disease 2.8% Homicide 5.2% Chronic liver disease 4.2%
6 Influenza & pneumonia 2.5% Influenza & pneumonia 2.0% Heart disease 2.9% Birth defects 1.6% Birth defects 0.8% Chronic liver disease 1.5% Homicide 2.8%
7 Septicemia 1.0% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1.7% Stroke 1.7% Influenza & pneumonia 0.6% Diabetes 0.6% Diabetes 1.1% Diabetes 2.5%
8 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1.0% (tie rank 8) Stroke 1.5% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1.6% Stroke 0.4%   (tie rank 8) Influenza & pneumonia 0.5% Influenza & pneumonia 0.9% Stroke 1.9%
9 Perinatal conditions 1.0% (tie rank 8) Benign neoplasms 1.3% Influenza & pneumonia 1.3% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 0.4% (tie rank 8) Stroke 0.5% Stroke 0.9% Influenza & pneumonia 1.4%
10 Benign neoplasms 0.8% (tie rank 10)
Stroke 0.8% (tie rank 10) 		Septicemia 1.0% Benign neoplasms 1.0% Birth defects 0.3% (tie rank 10)
Diabetes 0.3% (tie rank 10) 		Chronic lower respiratory diseases 0.4% Birth defects 0.9% HIV disease 1.2%

Tap table below to expand ages 45 and older

Ages 45+ by Age Group – White Males
Rank Age 45-54 Age 55-64 Age 65+ Age 65-74 Age 75-84 Age 85+ All Ages
1 Heart disease 22.0% Cancer 30.4% Heart disease 26.8% Cancer 33.0% Cancer 25.8% Heart disease 30.7% Heart disease 24.6%
2 Cancer 20.9% Heart disease 24.1% Cancer 24.1% Heart disease 23.9% Heart disease 25.1% Cancer 15.2% Cancer 23.6%
3 Unintentional injuries 13.8% Unintentional injuries 5.9% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.8% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 7.2% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 7.6% Stroke 5.6% Unintentional injuries 6.4%
4 Suicide 7.0% Chronic liver disease 4.5% Stroke 4.8% Diabetes 3.7% Stroke 4.9% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.6% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.6%
5 Chronic liver disease 6.0% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 4.4% Alzheimer’s disease 3.2% Stroke 3.6% Alzheimer’s disease 3.1% Alzheimer’s disease 5.3% Stroke 4.0%
6 Diabetes 3.3% Diabetes 3.7% Diabetes 2.9% Unintentional injuries 2.9% Diabetes 3.0% Influenza & pneumonia 3.1% Diabetes 2.9%
7 Stroke 2.4% Suicide 3.1% Unintentional injuries 2.8% Chronic liver disease 2.0% Unintentional injuries 2.7% Unintentional injuries 2.9% Suicide 2.7%
8 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 2.0% Stroke 2.8% Influenza & pneumonia 2.3% Kidney disease 1.6% Parkinson’s disease 2.3% Kidney disease 2.5% Alzheimer’s disease 2.3%
9 Influenza & pneumonia 1.4% Influenza & pneumonia 1.4% Kidney disease 2.1% Influenza & pneumonia 1.6%’ Influenza & pneumonia 2.1% Diabetes 2.1% Influenza & pneumonia 2.0%
10 Viral hepatitis 1.2% Septicemia 1.3% Parkinson’s disease 1.8% Septicemia 1.5% Kidney disease 2.1% Parkinson’s disease 2.0% Chronic liver disease 1.9%

*Percentages represent total deaths in the age group due to the cause indicated. Rankings are based on number of deaths. Numbers in parentheses indicate tied rankings. The white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Some terms have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. See the next page for a listing of the shortened terms in the table and their full unabridged equivalents used in the report. To learn more, visit Mortality Tables or Mortality Data (HHS, CDC, NCHS).

Short and Full Terms

Some terms in the leading causes of death tables have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. Below is a listing of the shortened terms used in the tables and their full, unabridged equivalents used in the report.

Short Terms Full Terms
Aortic aneurism Aortic aneurism and dissection
Appendix disease Diseases of appendix
Benign neoplasms In situ neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior
Birth defects Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
Bronchitis Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis
Cancer Malignant neoplasms
C. difficile infection Entercolitis due to clostridium
Chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
Chronic lower respiratory diseases Includes bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, bronchiectasis, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Diabetes Diabetes mellitus
Gallbladder disorders Cholethiasis and other disorders of gallbladder
Heart disease Diseases of the heart
HIV disease Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease
Homicide Assault (homicide)
Hypertension Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
Kidney disease Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis
Kidney infection Infections of kidney
Legal intervention* Physical or other force used by police or other law-enforcing agents, including military on duty, in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action. Includes legal execution and excludes citizen arrest.
Pelvic Inflammatory diseases Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs
Perinatal conditions Certain conditions orginating in the perinatal period
Pneumonitis Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids
Pregnancy complications Pregnancy, childbirth and the peurperium
Stroke Cerebrovascular diseases
Suicide Intentional self-harm
Unintentional injuries Accidents (unintentional injuries)

*World Health Organization. International statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Available at http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/. Accessed April 15, 2010.

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