Wondering how you’re most likely to die? Skip the online quizzes and morbid daydreaming, and sate your curiosity with this grim government chart.




The data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which tracks injuries (fatal and otherwise) because, just like disease, they can kill you. The white squares above are diseases and health conditions; the colored squares are injury related.

For older folks, the leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer (“malignant neoplasms”), and lung disease. Influenza and pneumonia make the top ten for every age group except the tiniest babies, who have worse things to worry about. (What have we said about not pooh-poohing the flu shot?) For young adults, those health-related causes are still important, but unintentional injuries top them.


In case you’re worried about what kind of injuries you have to watch out for, the CDC has that data broken down further:

For adults in their late twenties and thirties, top causes include unintentional poisonings (which includes drug overdose), car accidents, and various forms of homicide and suicide. You can find more fun data in this vein, including an interactive mapping tool, at the link below. Stay safe out there.



Ten Leading Causes of Death and Injury | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention