Introduction

Since 1999, preventable deaths occurring in the home have increased 320%, driven by a 788% increase in poisoning deaths and a 283% increase in deaths from falls. Drug overdoses are the main driver of poisoning deaths, and the data on fall deaths reflects a dramatic increase in the number of older adult falls.

In 2021, 128,200 people died from preventable deaths in the home.

Use this interactive chart to explore the trends in preventable injury-related home deaths by leading cause of death.

  • Chart
  • Data Table
How to Use Injury Facts® Charts and Tables

The National Safety Council (NSC) adopted the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) count for work-related unintentional injuries beginning with 1992 data. This affected long-term historical comparisons for the work, home, and public classes. Beginning with 1999 data, deaths are classified according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Caution should be used in comparing current data with data classified under prior revisions. See the Technical Appendix for more information.

 

Source: NSC estimates based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and state vital statistics departments.