Odds of Dying

The odds given in the data tree and corresponding table 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, and what kind of work they do, among other factors.

The one year odds are approximated by dividing the 2018 U.S. population (327,167,434) by the number of deaths. The lifetime odds are approximated by dividing the one-year odds by the life expectancy of a person born in 2018 (78.7 years). Please note that odds based on less than 20 deaths are likely to be unstable from year to year and are therefore not included in the table or data tree.

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 2018 were 1 in (value given in the one-year odds column).
  • The lifetime odds of dying from (manner of injury) for a person born in 2018 were 1 in (value given in the lifetime odds column).

For example, referring to the fourth line of the table:

  • The odds of dying from a motor-vehicle crash in 2018 were 1 in 8,303.
  • The lifetime odds of dying in a motor-vehicle crash for a person born in 2018 were 1 in 106.
  • Chart
  • Data Table
How to Use Injury Facts® Charts and Tables

Odds of dying due to injury, United States, 2018 (a)

Type of accident or manner of injury Deaths One-year odds Lifetime odds
All external causes of mortality, V01-Y89, *U01, *U03b 245,187 1,334 17
     Deaths due to unintentional (accidental) injuries, V01-X59, Y85-Y86 167,127 1,958 25
          Transport accidents, V01-V99, Y85 42,032 7,784 99
               Motor vehicle accidents, V02-V04, V09.0, V09.2, 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 39,404 8,303 106
               Pedestrian, V01-V09 7,680 42,600 541
               Pedalcyclist, V10-V19 1,024 319,499 4,060
               Motorcycle rider, V20-V29 4,669 70,072 890
               Occupant of three-wheeled motor vehicle, V30-V39 12 (c) (c)
               Car occupant, V40-V49 6,837 47,852 608
               Occupant of pick-up truck or van, V50-V59 1,523 214,818 2,730
               Occupant of heavy transport vehicle, V60-V69 335 976,619 12,409
               Bus occupant, V70-V79 20 16,358,372 207,857
               Animal rider or occupant of animal-drawn vehicle, V80 84 3,894,850 49,490
               Occupant of railway train or railway vehicle, V81 15 (c) (c)
               Occupant of streetcar, V82 0 (c) (c)
               Other and unspecified land transport accidents, V83-V89 18,269 17,908 228
                    Occupant of special industrial vehicle, V83 6 (c) (c)
                    Occupant of special agricultural vehicle, V84 108 3,029,328 38,492
                    Occupant of special construction vehicle, V85 25 13,086,697 166,286
                    Occupant of all-terrain or other off-road motor vehicle, V86 886 369,263 4,692
                    Other and unspecified person, V87-V89 17,244 18,973 241
               Water transport accidents, V90-V94 444 736,864 9,363
                    Drowning, V90, V92 335 976,619 12,409
                    Other and unspecified injuries, V91, V93-V94 109 3,001,536 38,139
               Air and space transport accidents, V95-V97 372 879,482 11,175
                    Occupant of private or commercial fixed-wing aircraft, V95.2-V95.3 7 (c) (c)
               Other and unspecified transport accidents and sequelae, V98-V99, Y85 748 437,390 5,558
                    Other specified transport accidents, V98 0 (c) (c)
                    Unspecified transport accident, V99 1 (c) (c)
          Nontransport unintentional (accidental) injuries, W00-X59, Y86 125,095 2,615 33
               Falls, W00-W19 37,455 8,735 111
                    Fall on same level from slipping, tripping, and stumbling, W01 778 420,524 5,343
                    Other fall on same level, W00, W02-W03, W18 13,394 24,426 310
                    Fall involving bed, chair, other furniture, W06-W08 1,339 244,337 3,105
                    Fall on and from stairs and steps, W10 2,509 130,398 1,657
                    Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding, W11-W12 485 674,572 8,571
                    Fall from out of or through building or structure, W13 480 681,599 8,661
                    Other fall from one level to another, W09, W14-W17 696 470,068 5,973
                    Other and unspecified fall, W04-W05, W19 17,774 18,407 234
               Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces, W20-W49 2,274 143,873 1,828
                    Struck by or striking against object, W20-W22 816 400,940 5,095
                    Caught between objects, W23 129 2,536,182 32,226
                    Contact with machinery, W24, W30-W31 525 623,176 7,918
                    Contact with sharp objects, W25-W29 141 2,320,336 29,483
                    Firearms discharge, W32-W34 458 714,339 9,077
                    Explosion and rupture of pressurized devices, W35-W38 14 (c) (c)
                    Fireworks discharge, W39 3 (c) (c)
                    Explosion of other materials, W40 110 2,974,249 37,792
                    Foreign body entering through skin or natural orifice, W44-W45 36 9,087,984 115,476
                    Other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces, W41-W43, W49 42 7,789,701 98,980
               Exposure to animate mechanical forces, W50-W64 154 2,124,464 26,994
                    Struck by or against another person, W50-W52 11 (c) (c)
                    Bitten or struck by dog, W54 35 9,347,641 118,776
                    Bitten or struck by other mammals, W53, W55 87 3,760,545 47,783
                    Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods, W57 8 (c) (c)
                    Bitten or crushed by other reptiles, W59 0 (c) (c)
                    Other and unspecified animate mechanical forces, W56, W58, W60, W64 13 (c) (c)
               Accidental drowning and submersion, W65-W74 3,710 88,185 1,121
                    Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub, W65-W66 536 610,387 7,756
                    Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool, W67-W68 746 438,562 5,573
                    Drowning and submersion while in or falling into natural water, W69-W70 1,770 184,840 2,349
                    Other and unspecified drowning and submersion, W73-W74 658 497,215 6,318
               Other accidental threats to breathing, W75-W84 6,701 48,824 620
                    Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, W75 940 348,050 4,422
                    Other accidental hanging and strangulation, W76 202 1,619,641 20,580
                    Threat to breathing due to cave-in, falling earth and other substances, W77 21 15,579,402 197,959
                    Inhalation of gastric contents, W78 286 1,143,942 14,535
                    Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W79 1,588 206,025 2,618
                    Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W80 3,210 101,921 1,295
                    Confined to or trapped in a low-oxygen environment, W81 9 (c) (c)
                    Other and unspecified threats to breathing, W83-W84 445 735,208 9,342
               Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure, W85-W99 333 982,485 12,484
                    Electric transmission lines, W85 89 3,676,039 46,710
                    Other and unspecified electric current, W86-W87 231 1,416,309 17,996
                    Radiation, W88-W91 0 (c) (c)
                    Excessive heat or cold of man-made origin, W92-W93 4 (c) (c)
                    High and low air pressure and changes in air pressure, W94 9 (c) (c)
                    Other and unspecified man-made environmental factors, W99 0 (c) (c)
               Exposure to smoke, fire and flames, X00-X09 2,972 110,083 1,399
                    Uncontrolled fire in building or structure, X00 2,382 137,350 1,745
                    Uncontrolled fire not in building or structure, X01 130 2,516,673 31,978
                    Controlled fire in building or structure, X02 25 (c) (c)
                    Controlled fire not in building or structure, X03 25 13,086,697 166,286
                    Ignition of highly flammable material, X04 104 3,145,841 39,973
                    Ignition or melting of nightwear, X05 3 (c) (c)
                    Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel, X06 68 4,811,286 61,135
                    Other and unspecified smoke fire and flames, X08-X09 235 1,392,202 17,690
               Contact with heat and hot substances, X10-X19 92 3,556,168 45,186
                    Contact with hot tap-water, X11 42 7,789,701 98,980
                    Other and unspecified heat and hot substances, X10, X12-X19 50 6,543,349 83,143
               Contact with venomous animals and plants, X20-X29 95 3,443,868 43,759
                    Contact with venomous snakes and lizards, X20 4 (c) (c)
                    Contact with venomous spiders, X21 4 (c) (c)
                    Contact with hornets, wasps and bees, X23 77 4,248,928 53,989
                    Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant, X22, X24-X29 10 (c) (c)
               Exposure to forces of nature, X30-X39 1,727 189,443 2,407
                    Exposure to excessive natural heat, X30 535 611,528 7,770
                    Exposure to excessive natural cold, X31 1,008 324,571 4,124
                    Lightning, X33 23 14,224,671 180,746
                    Earthquake and other earth movements, X34-X36 26 12,583,363 159,890
                    Cataclysmic storm, X37 76 4,304,835 54,699
                    Flood, X38 44 7,435,624 94,481
                    Exposure to other and unspecified forces of nature, X32, X39 15 (c) (c)
               Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, X40-X49 62,399 5,243 67
                    Drug poisoning , X40-X44 58,908 5,554 71
                    Opioids (including both legal and illegal), T40.0-T40.4, T40.6 42,518 7,695 98
                    Alcohol, X45 2,254 145,150 1,844
                    Gases and vapors, X46-X47 933 350,662 4,456
                    Other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances, X48-X49 304 1,076,209 13,675
               Overexertion, travel and privation, X50-X57 43 7,608,545 96,678
               Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae, X58-X59, Y86 7,140 45,822 582
     Intentional self-harm, X60-X84, Y87.0, *U03 48,344 6,767 86
          Intentional self-poisoning, X60-X69 6,237 52,456 667
          Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, X70 13,840 23,639 300
          Intentional self-harm by firearm, X72-X74 24,432 13,391 170
          Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X71, X75-X84, Y87.0 3,835 85,311 1,084
          Terrorism, *U03 0 (c) (c)
     Assault, X85-Y09, Y87.1, *U01 18,829 17,376 221
          Assault by firearm, X93-X95 13,958 23,439 298
          Assault by sharp object, X99 1,718 190,435 2,420
          Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X85-X92, X96-X98, Y00-Y09, Y87.1 3,153 103,764 1,318
          Terrorism, *U01 0 (c) (c)
     Event of undetermined intent, Y10-Y34, Y87.2, Y89.9 5,653 57,875 735
          Poisoning, Y10-Y19 3,712 88,138 1,120
          Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, Y20 154 2,124,464 26,994
          Drowning and submersion, Y21 271 1,207,260 15,340
          Firearm discharge, Y22-Y24 353 926,820 11,777
          Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames, Y26 185 1,768,473 22,471
          Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place, Y30 96 3,407,994 43,304
          Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y25, Y27-Y29, Y31-Y34,Y87.2, Y89.9 882 370,938 4,713
     Legal intervention, Y35, Y89.0 618 529,397 6,727
          Legal intervention involving firearm discharge, Y35.0 539 606,990 7,713
          Legal execution, Y35.5 22 14,871,247 188,961
          Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y35.1-Y35.4, Y35.6-Y35.7, Y89.0 57 5,739,780 72,932
     Operations of war and sequelae, Y36, Y89.1 11 (c) (c)
     Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae, Y40-Y84, Y88.0-Y88.3 4,604 71,062 903


(a) Latest official figures.
(b) Numbers following titles refer to external cause of injury and poisoning classifications in ICD-10.
(c) 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.–Mortality Data for 2018 as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Deaths are classified on the basis of the Tenth Revision of “The International Classification of Diseases” (ICD-10), which became effective in 1999.