Top 10 Causes of Death for Americans Ages 20 to 24

Unintentional Injuries

According to the CDC, unintentional injuries accounted for 44.5% of deaths among people aged 20-24 years old in 2020.

Many of these deaths were caused by poisonings related to certain drugs, including narcotics and hallucinogens. Drug poisoning can happen by accident, which is why properly storing and discarding medications is important.

However, some people who die from being exposed to these drugs have a substance use disorder. They may die from an overdose or from complications that happen when more than one substance is used at the same time.

In some cases, a person dies after using a substance that they didn’t realize had been mixed or “laced” with something else.

Motor vehicle accidents also accounted for many accidental deaths, as they have in previous years. Although cars are getting safer, deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents are increasing. Traffic accident deaths were only very slightly down in 2022 following two years of sharp increases: 7.3% in 2020 and 10.1% in 2021.  

To protect yourself, wear your seat belt, drive defensively, and avoid risky behaviors (like driving while texting) when you’re behind the wheel.

Homicide

Homicide, or murder, was the second-leading cause of death in 2020 and was responsible for 16.5% of deaths for people in the 20-24 age group. Most of these homicides were committed with firearms.

Gun violence can be hard to avoid, as you don’t necessarily have control over where you live.

Reaching out for help if you’re experiencing domestic violence or if you are at risk of neighborhood gun violence are key steps that you can take.

If you have firearms in your home, it’s important that they are kept safely—particularly if you have children.

Suicide

Suicide was the third leading cause of death among people ages 20-24 in 2020, accounting for 16.3% of deaths.

A person of any age can have suicidal thoughts, but there is a rising mental health crisis among youth in the U.S.

Cancer/Mmalignant Neoplasms

Cancer (malignant neoplasms) caused about 3.2% of deaths in the 20-24 age group in 2020.

Although there is no definitive way to prevent cancer, you can reduce your risk. Some general steps you can take to support your overall health include:

• Eating a nutritious diet
• Staying physically active
• Managing stress
• Protecting your skin from the sun
• Getting regular cancer screenings as recommended
• Not smoking or using tobacco (or quitting if you do)

Talk to your provider about specific steps you can take to lower your risk for cancer. It is also important to know the early signs and symptoms of cancer so you can seek treatment in the early stages when you have the best possible chance of successful treatment.

Heart Disease

In 2020, about 2.4% of deaths in people ages 20-24 were from heart disease.

Many young people who have heart disease were born with it (congenital heart disease). In this case, there wasn’t anything they could have done to keep it from happening.

However, heart disease can also happen later in life—especially for people who have certain risk factors. You can take steps to lower your risk of heart disease at any age by:

• Eating a balanced, heart-healthy diet
• Getting exercise that raises your heart rate
• Avoiding substances that are known to harm your heart, like tobacco and illicit drugs
• Talking to your family to get a better sense of your genetic risk for heart disease
• Seeing your provider for heart health check-ups, including knowing your cholesterol levels and blood pressure
• Trying your best to manage stress

COVID-19

In 2020, 1.6% of deaths in people ages 20-24 were related to COVID-19.

As of 2021 data from the CDC, COVID has become the third-leading cause of death for all ages in the U.S. This is expected to decline, however, since most people have some immunity to the virus through exposure or vaccination.

People of any age who have certain risk factors, like obesity and underlying medical conditions, are more likely to die from or with COVID.

COVID can lead to death when the infection leads to complications like sepsis, blood clots, and organ failure, or if it affects respiratory function.

In some cases, COVID is considered a contributing cause of death. For example, a young person with cancer may have had cancer listed as their primary cause of death on their death certificate, but having had COVID was considered a contributing factor.

The best way to prevent COVID is to get vaccinated (and boosted) and take precautions, like masking and social distancing.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes caused about 0.9% of deaths among people ages 20 to 24 in 2020.

People with diabetes live longer now than they used to because of advances in how the disease is treated. However, it can still cause complications.

For example, having diabetes increases your risk of having heart attacks and strokes.

People who have type 1 diabetes (type 1) could not have prevented it, but they can take steps to avoid complications—including death.

For example, managing the condition is important by making sure the necessary insulin needed to survive is on hand and making any lifestyle changes necessary to stay healthy.

People with type 2 diabetes can also manage the condition through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication.

In many cases, the condition can be prevented by taking certain steps. Some of these steps can also reverse type 2 diabetes.

You might be able to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes or reverse it by:

• Eating a nutritious diet, which may include limiting carbohydrates and added sugar
• Exercising regularly
• Achieving and maintaining a weight that supports your health
• Following your treatment plan, including taking any medications as prescribed
  

Congenital Abnormalities

Congenital conditions (also called anomalies) are those that people are born with. In 2020, these conditions accounted for 0.8% of deaths among people ages 20-24.

One example of this type of condition is cystic fibrosis.

Since these conditions happen before a person is born, people who are pregnant can be screened to find out if a fetus is at risk for certain conditions.

For someone living with a congenital condition, preventing complications comes down to learning how to manage the condition and having a team of providers that they can work with.

Complicated Pregnancy

About 0.7% of deaths among people ages 20-24 occurred during pregnancy or during/after childbirth.

There are several reasons that people can die during pregnancy or while giving birth, including:

• Heart disease
• Infection or sepsis
• Hemorrhage
• Preeclampsia and eclampsia
• Complications from anesthesia

You can’t always control whether these complications happen to you. However, there are some general steps that you can take to lower the chances that they’ll happen, such as:

• Getting routine medical care during your pregnancy
• Eating a nutritious diet with plenty of nutrients needed for fetal development (for example, folic acid) and taking supplements, if necessary
• Exercising in ways that are comfortable and safe for you
• Getting plenty of good quality sleep
• Staying up to date on your vaccinations, including the annual flu shot and COVID-19 vaccines/boosters
• Knowing the signs and symptoms of complications (such as unusual bleeding or high blood pressure) and contacting your provider right away if you feel unwell

Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease

In 2020, chronic lower respiratory disease accounted for about 0.6% of deaths among people between the ages of 20-24.

Examples of these conditions include:

• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
• Cystic fibrosis

There are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing these conditions and prevent complications from them, such as:

• Not smoking, quitting if you do use tobacco, and avoiding second-hand smoke
• Avoiding environmental pollutants (e.g., dust, fumes, smoke)
• Staying away from people with respiratory infections
• Following your prescribed treatment plan

Influenza and Pneumonia

While the addition of COVID-19 to the list bumped the flu out of the top 10 causes of death, the flu and pneumonia still accounted for 0.6% of deaths in people aged 20-24.

Getting a flu vaccine is the most effective way to prepare yourself for flu season. Other steps you can take include:

• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Practice good hygiene by washing your hands regularly.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
• Regularly clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs that inflames the air sacs, sometimes filling them with fluid or pus. It can be caused by a number of different organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as by aspirating (inhaling) a foreign object.

Vaccines help prevent pneumonia by boosting your immunity against some of the common bacteria and viruses that cause illness. Some of the vaccines that can help prevent pneumonia include:

• COVID-19
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Influenza (flu)
• Measles
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Pneumococcal
• Varicella (chickenpox)