| Cause of death | Number of deaths, 2021 | One-year odds | Lifetime odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances (2) | 102,001 | 3,254 | 43 |
| Drug poisoning | 98,268 | 3,377 | 44 |
| Opioids (including both legal and illegal) | 75,785 | 4,379 | 58 |
| All motor vehicle accidents | 46,980 | 7,065 | 93 |
| Car occupants | 7,576 | 43,809 | 576 |
| Pedestrians | 8,984 | 36,943 | 485 |
| Motorcycle riders | 5,836 | 56,870 | 747 |
| Assault by firearm | 20,958 | 15,836 | 208 |
| Exposure to smoke, fire and flames | 3,389 | 97,933 | 1,287 |
| Fall on and from stairs and steps | 2,766 | 119,991 | 1,577 |
| Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming pool | 841 | 394,642 | 5,186 |
| Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding | 557 | 595,860 | 7,830 |
| Firearms discharge (accidental) | 458 | 724,659 | 9,522 |
| Air and space transport accidents | 388 | 855,396 | 11,240 |
| Cataclysmic storm (3) | 217 | 1,529,464 | 20,098 |
| Flood | 95 | 3,493,618 | 45,908 |
| Bitten or struck by dog | 81 | 4,097,454 | 53,843 |
| Earthquake and other earth movements | 44 | 7,543,040 | 99,120 |
| Lightning | 15 | (4) | (4) |
(1) Based on fatalities and life expectancy in 2021. Ranked by deaths in 2021.
(2) Includes all types of medications including narcotics and hallucinogens, alcohol and gases.
(3) Includes hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms and other cataclysmic storms.
(4) Rates based on less than 20 deaths are likely to be unstable from year to year and are therefore not included.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics; National Safety Council.
