The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tallies American deaths in the WISQARS database. Below are the total number of deaths by suicide, homicide, and unintentional deaths by the method of death, from 1999-2016
Method | Number of Deaths |
Firearm | 26,328 |
Suffocation | 12,431 |
Drug poisoning | 4,375 |
Non-drug poisoning | 1,193 |
Fall | 1,184 |
Cut/pierce | 965 |
Other specified and classifiable | 697 |
Drowning (includes water transport) | 459 |
Fire/flame | 195 |
Transport (land) | 157 |
Other specified and not classified elsewhere | 112 |
Method | Number of Deaths |
Firearm | 20,958 |
Unspecified | 1,376 |
Other specified and not classified elsewhere | 464 |
Suffocation | 409 |
Struck by/against | 287 |
Drug poisoning | 214 |
Other specified and classifiable | 166 |
Transport (land) | 113 |
Fire/flame | 108 |
Drowning (includes water transport) | 24 |
Fall | 12 (unstable figure) |
Hot object/substance | — |
Non-drug poisoning | — |
Leading Methods of Unintentional Death
Method | Number of Deaths |
Drug poisoning | 98,268 |
Fall | 44,686 |
Unspecified, motor vehicle traffic | 20,768 |
Occupant, motor vehicle traffic | 10,025 |
Pedestrian, motor vehicle traffic | 7,984 |
Suffocation | 7,182 |
Unspecified | 6,392 |
Motorcyclist | 5,762 |
Drowning (includes water transport) | 4,677 |
Non-drug poisoning | 3,733 |
Fire/flame | 3,389 |
Natural/environmental | 2,812 |
Other specified and classifiable | 1,602 |
Transport, other land | 1,378 |
Other specified and classifiable | 1,149 |
Struck by/against | 1,024 |
Pedestrian, other | 1,000 |
Pedal cyclist, motor vehicle traffic | 853 |
Firearm | 549 |
Machinery | 530 |
Transport, other (excluding drowning by water transport) | 501 |
Pedal cyclist, other | 377 |
Hot object/substance | 95 |
Overexertion | 13 |
Other, motor vehicle Traffic | 12 |
Source: CDC, “WISQARS Fatal and Nonfatal Injury Reports,” cdc.gov (accessed July 10, 2023)
People who view this page may also like: |
---|
1. International Civilian Gun Ownership Rates |
2. Leading Causes of Suicide, Homicide, and Unintentional Death |
3. Concealed Guns |