U.S. injury death rates peaked in 2021, then declined

The injury death rate in the United States rose from 2013 to 2021 but started to decline from 2021 to 2023, according to a recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Sally C. Curtin, who authored the report, analyzed trends in injury death rates across different causes, including unintentional injuries, suicides, and homicides. She found that the overall age-adjusted injury death rate increased by 21% from 2013 to 2019 and by an additional 25% through 2021. A slight decrease of 4% was noted from 2021 to 2023. From 2003 to 2019, drug overdose deaths saw a threefold increase. This trend continued with a 58% rise by 2022 before declining by 4% in 2023. Suicide rates involving firearms went up between 2006 and 2018 but saw fluctuations from 2019 to 2021, stabilizing by 2023. Homicide rates involving firearms decreased from 2003 to 2014, increased until 2021, and then declined again through 2023. Curtin highlighted that drug overdoses were the main cause of unintentional injury deaths from 2013 to 2023, with the most significant increase in death rates occurring from 2019 to 2022.