A lot has changed in the past century, but not much has changed in terms of death. If you lived in 1924, you were most likely to die of heart disease. The same is true if you reading this now, in 2024. That said, there have been remarkable advancements in medicine over the past hundred years that are reflected in the other leading causes of death.
Thanks to revolutionary antibiotic medicines, almost no one dies from syphilis. The same goes for once-deadly conditions like diarrhea which can now be treated in a matter of hours. What's interesting to see is how some conditions had no presence on the leading cause of death list a century ago but now kill many, like the rates of death from Alzheimer's Disease in 2024. Let's take a look at the leading causes of death today vs one hundred years ago. Some of the deadliest conditions may surprise you. (For death on the high seas, discover the most devastating ocean disasters of the modern era.)
To compile a list of the leading causes of death for Americans in 1924 vs 2024, 24/7 Tempo consulted several public health and news publications. These include the U.S. News & World Report and the World Health Organization. After that, we confirmed the leading causes of death for 1924 and 2024 using government publications like the Center for Disease Control. We compared these with archive data also from the Center for Disease Control.
10. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Syphilis
17,635 people died from Syphilis in 1924.
10. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Chronic Liver Disease/ Cirrhosis
54,803 people died from Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis in 2024.
9. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Diarrhea, Enteritis, and Ulceration of the Intestines
33,488 people died from Diarrhea and related conditions in 1924.
9. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Nephritis
57,937 people died from Nephritis or other necrotic conditions in 2024.
8. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Premature Birth
38,944 people died from premature birth in 1924.
8. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Diabetes
101,209 people died from Diabetes in 2024.
7. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 -Accidents (Excluding Motor-Vehicles)
59,099 people died from non-motor vehicle accidents in 1924.
7. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Alzheimer's Disease
120,122 people died from Alzheimer's Disease in 2024.
6. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Nephritis
87,234 people died from Nephritis in 1924.
6. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases
147,382 people died from Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases in 2024.
5. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Tuberculosis
87,346 people died from Tuberculosis in 1924.
5. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Stroke
165,393 people died from a stroke in 2024.
4. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Cancer
89,796 people died from cancer or malignant tumors in 1924.
4. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – COVID-19
186,552 people died from COVID-19 in 2024.
3. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 -Intracranial Lesions of Vascular Origin
96,500 people died from intracranial lesions of a vascular origin in 1924.
3. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Accidents
2. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 -Pneumonia and Influenza
114,456 people died from pneumonia and/or influenza in 1924.
2. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Cancer
608,371 people died from cancer in 2024.
1. Leading Cause of Death in 1924 – Heart Disease
174,459 people died from heart disease in 1924.
1. Leading Cause of Death in 2024 – Heart Disease
