What are the odds of dying?
The table below was prepared in response to frequent inquiries, especially from the media, asking questions such as, "What are the odds of being killed by lightning?" or "What are the chances of dying in a plane crash?"
The table has four columns. The first column gives the manner of injury such as motor-vehicle crash, fall, fire, etc. The second column gives the total number of deaths nationwide due to the manner of injury in 2003 (the latest year for which data are available). The third column gives the odds of dying in one year due to the manner of injury. The fourth column gives the lifetime odds of dying from the manner of injury. Statements about the odds or chances of dying from a given cause of death may be made as follows:
* The odds of dying from (manner of injury) in 2003 were 1 in (value given in the one-year odds column).
* The life-time odds of dying from (manner of injury) for a person born in 2003 were 1 in (value given in the lifetime odds column).
For example, referring to the first line of the table below:
* The odds of dying from an injury in 2003 were 1 in 1,755.
* The lifetime odds of dying from an injury for a person born in 2003 were 1 in 23.
National Geographic magazine's August 2006 issue features the
" Ways to Go" chart based on the National Safety Council's Odds of
Dying statistics
The odds given below are statistical averages over the whole U.S. population and do not necessarily reflect the chances of death for a particular person from a particular external cause. Any individual's odds of dying from various external causes are affected by the activities in which they participate, where they live and drive, what kind of work they do, and other factors.
Source: National Safety Council estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Deaths are classified on the basis of the Tenth Revision of the World Health Organization's "The International Classification of Diseases" (ICD). Numbers following titles refer to External Cause of Morbidity and Mortality classifications in ICD-10. One year odds are approximated by dividing the 2003 population (290,850,005) by the number of deaths. Lifetime odds are approximated by dividing the one-year odds by the life expectancy of a person born in 2003 (77.6 years).
Odds of Death Due to Injury, United States, 2003
Type of Accident or Manner of Injury Deaths One Year Odds Lifetime Odds
All External Causes of Mortality, V01-Y89, *U01, *U03
166,857
1,743
22
Deaths Due to Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries, V01-X59, Y85-Y86
109,277
2,662
34
Transport Accidents, V01-V99, Y85
48,071
6,050
78
Motor-Vehicle Accidents, V02-V04, V09.0, V12-V14, V19.0-V19.2, V19.4-V19.6, V20-V79, V80.3-V80.5, V81.0-V81.1, V82.0-V82.1, V83-V86, V87.0-V87.8, V88.0-V88.8, V89.0, V89.2
44,757
6,498
84
Pedestrian, V01-V09
5,991
48,548
626
Pedalcyclist, V10-V19
762
381,693
4,919
Motorcycle rider, V20-V29
3,676
79,121
1,020
Occupant of three-wheeled motor vehicle, V30-V39
13
22,373,077
288,313
Car occupant, V40-V49
15,797
18,412
237
Occupant of pick-up truck or van, V50-V59
4,163
69,865
900
Occupant of heavy transport vehicle, V60-V69
442
658,032
8,480
Bus occupant, V70-V79
36
8,079,167
104,113
Animal rider or occupant of animal-drawn vehicle, V80
101
2,879,703
37,110
Occupant of railway train or railway vehicle, V81
24
12,118,750
156,169
Occupant of streetcar, V82
2
145,425,003
1,874,034
Other and unspecified land transport accidents, V83-V89
15,107
19,253
248
Occupant of special industrial vehicle, V83
12
24,237,500
312,339
Occupant of special agricultural vehicle, V84
175
1,662,000
21,418
Occupant of special construction vehicle, V85
20
14,542,500
187,403
Occupant of all-terrain or other off-road motor vehicle, V86
906
321,026
4,137
Other and unspecified person, V87-V89
13,994
20,784
268
Water transport accidents, V90-V94
573
507,592
6,541
Drowning, V90, V92
412
705,947
9,097
Other and unspecified injuries, V91, V93-V94
161
1,806,522
23,280
Air and space transport accidents, V95-V97
742
391,981
5,051
Other and unspecified transport accidents and sequelae, V98-V99, Y85
642
453,037
5,838
Other specified transport accidents, V98
2
145,425,003
1,874,034
Unspecified transport accident, V99
0
---
---
Nontransport Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries, W00-X59, Y86
61,206
4,752
61
Falls, W00-W19
17,229
16,881
218
Fall on same level from slipping, tripping, and stumbling, W01
597
487,186
6,278
Other fall on same level, W00, W02-W03, W18
3,896
74,653
962
Fall involving bed, chair, other furniture, W06-W08
838
347,076
4,473
Fall on and from stairs and steps, W10
1,588
183,155
2,360
Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding, W11-W12
417
697,482
8,988
Fall from out of or through building or structure, W13
600
484,750
6,247
Other fall from one level to another, W09, W14-W17
701
414,907
5,347
Other and unspecified fall, W04-W05, W19
8,592
33,851
436
Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces, W20-W49
2,658
109,424
1,410
Struck by or striking against object, W20-W22
809
359,518
4,633
Caught between objects, W23
136
2,138,603
27,559
Contact with machinery, W24, W30-W31
640
454,453
5,856
Contact with sharp objects, W25-W29
99
2,937,879
37,859
Firearms discharge, W32-W34
730
398,425
5,134
Explosion and rupture of pressurized devices, W35-W38
30
9,695,000
124,936
Fireworks discharge, W39
11
26,440,910
340,733
Explosion of other materials, W40
147
1,978,571
25,497
Foreign body entering through skin or natural orifice, W44-W45
22
13,220,455
170,367
Other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces, W41-W43, W49
34
8,554,412
110,237
Exposure to animate mechanical forces, W50-W64
171
1,700,877
21,919
Struck by or against another person, W50-W52
39
7,457,692
96,104
Bitten or struck by dog, W54
32
9,089,063
117,127
Bitten or struck by other mammals, W53, W55
78
3,728,846
48,052
Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods, W57
12
24,237,500
312,339
Bitten or crushed by other reptiles, W59
0
---
---
Other and unspecified animate mechanical forces, W56, W58, W60, W64
10
29,085,001
374,807
Accidental drowning and submersion, W65-W74
3,306
87,976
1,134
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub, W65-W66
332
876,054
11,289
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool, W67-W68
515
564,757
7,278
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into natural water, W69-W70
1,225
237,429
3,060
Other and unspecified drowning and submersion, W73-W74
1,234
235,697
3,037
Other accidental threats to breathing, W75-W84
5,579
52,133
672
Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, W75
497
585,211
7,541
Other accidental hanging and strangulation, W76
277
1,050,000
13,531
Threat to breathing due to cave-in, falling earth and other substances, W77
46
6,322,826
81,480
Inhalation of gastric contents, W78
393
740,076
9,537
Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W79
875
332,400
4,284
Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W80
3,004
96,821
1,248
Confined to or trapped in a low-oxygen environment, W81
16
18,178,125
234,254
Other and unspecified threats to breathing, W83-W84
471
617,516
7,958
Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure, W85-W99
396
734,470
9,465
Electric transmission lines, W85
96
3,029,688
39,042
Other and unspecified electric current, W86-W87
280
1,038,750
13,386
Radiation, W88-W91
0
---
---
Excessive heat or cold of man-made origin, W92-W93
10
29,085,001
374,807
High and low air pressure and changes in air pressure, W94
10
29,085,001
374,807
Other and unspecified man-made environmental factors, W99
0
---
---
Exposure to smoke, fire and flames, X00-X09
3,369
86,331
1,113
Uncontrolled fire in building or structure, X00
2,761
105,342
1,358
Uncontrolled fire not in building or structure, X01
57
5,102,632
65,756
Controlled fire in building or structure, X02
35
8,310,000
107,088
Controlled fire not in building or structure, X03
39
7,457,692
96,104
Ignition of highly flammable material, X04
55
5,288,182
68,147
Ignition or melting of nightwear, X05
3
96,950,002
1,249,356
Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel, X06
104
2,796,635
36,039
Other and unspecified smoke fire and flames, X08-X09
315
923,333
11,899
Contact with heat and hot substances, X10-X19
88
3,305,114
42,592
Contact with hot tap-water, X11
26
11,186,539
144,156
Other and unspecified heat and hot substances, X10, X12-X19
62
4,691,129
60,453
Contact with venomous animals and plants, X20-X29
94
3,094,149
39,873
Contact with venomous snakes and lizards, X20
2
145,425,003
1,874,034
Contact with venomous spiders, X21
8
36,356,251
468,508
Contact with hornets, wasps and bees, X23
66
4,406,818
56,789
Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant, X22, X24-X29
18
16,158,334
208,226
Exposure to forces of nature, X30-X39
1,140
255,132
3,288
Exposure to excessive natural heat, X30
273
1,065,385
13,729
Exposure to excessive natural cold, X31
620
469,113
6,045
Lightning, X33
47
6,188,298
79,746
Earthquake and other earth movements, X34-X36
32
9,089,063
117,127
Cataclysmic storm, X37
75
3,878,000
49,974
Flood, X38
26
11,186,539
144,156
Exposure to other and unspecified forces of nature, X32, X39
67
4,341,045
55,941
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, X40-X49
19,457
14,948
193
Nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics, and antirheumatics, X40
210
1,385,000
17,848
Antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism, and psychotropic drugs n.e.c., X41
1,205
241,369
3,110
Narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] n.e.c., X42
9,231
31,508
406
Other and unspecified drugs, medicaments, and biologicals, X43-X44
7,648
38,030
490
Alcohol, X45
373
779,759
10,048
Gases and vapours, X46-X47
690
421,522
5,432
Other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances, X48-X49
100
2,908,500
37,481
Overexertion, travel and privation, X50-X57
48
6,059,375
78,085
Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae, X58-X59, Y86
7,671
37,916
489
Intentional self-harm, X60-X84, Y87.0, *U03
31,484
9,238
119
Intentional self-poisoning, X60-X69
5,462
53,250
686
Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, X70
6,635
43,836
565
Intentional self-harm by firearm, X72-X74
16,907
17,203
222
Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X71, X75-X84, Y87.0, *U03
2,480
117,278
1,511
Assault, X85-Y09, Y87.1, *U01
17,732
16,403
211
Assault by firearm, X93-X95
11,920
24,400
314
Assault by sharp object, X99
2,049
141,947
1,829
Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X85-X92, X96-X98, Y00-Y09, Y87.1, *U01
3,763
77,292
996
Event of undetermined intent, Y10-Y34, Y87.2, Y89.9
5,072
57,344
739
Poisoning, Y10-Y19
3,700
78,608
1,013
Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, Y20
108
2,693,056
34,704
Drowning and submersion, Y21
215
1,352,791
17,433
Firearm discharge, Y22-Y24
232
1,253,664
16,155
Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames, Y26
100
2,908,500
37,481
Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place, Y30
77
3,777,273
48,676
Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y25, Y27-Y29, Y31-Y34,Y87.2, Y89.9
640
454,453
5,856
Legal intervention, Y35, Y89.0
423
687,589
8,861
Legal intervention involving firearm discharge, Y35.0
347
838,184
10,801
Legal execution, Y35.5
60
4,847,500
62,468
Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y35.1-Y35.4, Y35.6-Y35.7, Y89.0
16
18,178,125
234,254
Operations of war and sequelae, Y36, Y89.1
14
20,775,000
267,719
Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae, Y40-Y84, Y88.0-Y88.3
2,855
101,874
1,313