Underlying Cause of Death by age

The ways you’re most likely to die, at every age

By Ana Swanson January 11 at 7:48 AM  

Not to be morbid, but what are you likely to die from?

Nathan Yau of Flowing Data has created a fascinating interactive chart that shows the answer, according to statistics. Drawing on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Underlying Cause of Death database, Yau charted the cause of death for Americans by age.

Here's what the chart looks like for women overall::

Flowing Data

Note that this chart shows percentages by age group, not absolute numbers. There are far more people dying in 70s and 80s than there are in their 20s, but this kind of chart gives them all equal space, to show you how deaths break down by percentages.