Leading Causes of Death - College Age
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Leading causes of death in the United States - college age young adults
The top three causes, Unintentional injury (accidents), Assault (homicide) and Self inflicted injury (suicide), accounted for close to three quarter (73.3 percent) of all deaths among college age young adults (ages 20 through 24) in 2002. Note that automobile accident is the number one cause of death in this age group, accounting for about 30%.
Top 20 Causes of Death - Young Adult (20 - 24)
Rank Cause of Death Total Deaths No of Deaths Percent
All Deaths 19234 19234 100.00%
1 Unintentional Injury 8275 43.02%
* MV Traffic 5712 29.70%
* Poisoning 1193 6.20%
* Drowning 309 1.61%
* Fall 164 0.85%
* Other Land Transport 113 0.59%
* Fire/burn 110 0.57%
* Firearm 103 0.54%
* Other Spec., classifiable 102 0.53%
* Suffocation 87 0.45%
* Pedestrian, Other 86 0.45%
* Other Transport 83 0.43%
* Unspecified 71 0.37%
* Struck by or Against 46 0.24%
* Machinery 29 0.15%
* Natural/ Environment 27 0.14%
* Other Spec., NEC 23 0.12%
* Pedal cyclist, Other 10 0.05%
* Cut/pierce 7 0.04%
2 Homicide 3327 17.30%
3 Suicide 2497 12.98%
4 Malignant Neoplasms 1007 5.24%
5 Heart Disease 617 3.21%
6 Congenital Anomalies 244 1.27%
7 HIV 140 0.73%
8 Cerebrovascular 118 0.61%
9 Diabetes Mellitus 116 0.60%
10 Chronic Respiratory Disease 99 0.51%
11 Influenza & Pneumonia 92 0.48%
12 Anemias 69 0.36%
13 Septicemia 69 0.36%
14 Nephritis 63 0.33%
15 Complicated Pregnancy 61 0.32%
16 Benign Neoplasms 46 0.24%
17 Pneumonitis 28 0.15%
18 Liver Disease 24 0.12%
19 Aortic Aneurysm 19 0.10%
20 Hypertension 17 0.09%
All Others 2306 11.99%
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Data Source: National Center for Health Statistics
National Vital Statistics Reports March 7, 2005
