Births and deaths per year in United States
United States: Births and deaths per year was 2.98 million deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.98 million deaths
Change on year
down 6.6%
World rank
3rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.49 million deaths
in 2021
All-time low
1.48 million deaths
in 1954
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Births and deaths per year in United States, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2023, births and deaths per year in United States stood at 2.98 million deaths.
The figure is down 6.6% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births and deaths per year in United States peaked at 3.49 million deaths in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.48 million deaths, in 1954.
That places United States 3rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Births and deaths per year in United States, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.48 million deaths | — |
| 1951 | 1.50 million deaths | +1.6% |
| 1952 | 1.51 million deaths | +0.5% |
| 1953 | 1.52 million deaths | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 1.48 million deaths | -2.9% |
| 1955 | 1.51 million deaths | +2.4% |
| 1956 | 1.54 million deaths | +1.9% |
| 1957 | 1.60 million deaths | +3.8% |
| 1958 | 1.61 million deaths | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 1.61 million deaths | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 1.66 million deaths | +3.5% |
| 1961 | 1.66 million deaths | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 1.72 million deaths | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 1.79 million deaths | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 1.79 million deaths | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 1.83 million deaths | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 1.87 million deaths | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 1.87 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 1.96 million deaths | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 1.96 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 1.96 million deaths | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 1.97 million deaths | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 2.00 million deaths | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 2.01 million deaths | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 1.97 million deaths | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 1.92 million deaths | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 1.94 million deaths | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 1.92 million deaths | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 1.95 million deaths | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.93 million deaths | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 2.00 million deaths | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 1.99 million deaths | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 1.99 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 2.04 million deaths | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 2.06 million deaths | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 2.11 million deaths | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 2.13 million deaths | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 2.15 million deaths | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 2.20 million deaths | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 2.18 million deaths | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 2.18 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 2.20 million deaths | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 2.20 million deaths | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 2.30 million deaths | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 2.31 million deaths | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 2.34 million deaths | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 2.34 million deaths | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 2.34 million deaths | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 2.36 million deaths | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 2.41 million deaths | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 2.42 million deaths | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 2.43 million deaths | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 2.46 million deaths | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 2.47 million deaths | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 2.42 million deaths | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.47 million deaths | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 2.45 million deaths | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 2.45 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 2.50 million deaths | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 2.47 million deaths | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 2.50 million deaths | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 2.55 million deaths | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 2.57 million deaths | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.61 million deaths | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 2.63 million deaths | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 2.71 million deaths | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 2.73 million deaths | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 2.80 million deaths | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 2.82 million deaths | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 2.84 million deaths | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 3.38 million deaths | +19.1% |
| 2021 | 3.49 million deaths | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 3.19 million deaths | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 2.98 million deaths | -6.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 2.98 million deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 16,691 deaths, 178.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.54 million deaths | 1.48 million deaths | 1.61 million deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.81 million deaths | 1.66 million deaths | 1.96 million deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.96 million deaths | 1.92 million deaths | 2.01 million deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.09 million deaths | 1.99 million deaths | 2.20 million deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.30 million deaths | 2.18 million deaths | 2.41 million deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.46 million deaths | 2.42 million deaths | 2.50 million deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.68 million deaths | 2.50 million deaths | 2.84 million deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.26 million deaths | 2.98 million deaths | 3.49 million deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More health data for United States
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0261 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0274 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births and deaths per year in United States?
- Births and deaths per year in United States was 2.98 million deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest births and deaths per year recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 3.49 million deaths in 2021.
- What is the lowest births and deaths per year recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.48 million deaths in 1954.
- How does United States rank for births and deaths per year?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is births and deaths per year rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Births and deaths per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year.