The Burrow
Feb 24, 2026
Death is a morbid topic that none of us likes to think about, but it’s important to be aware of some of the most significant health risks that are affecting mortality rates around the world. Where you live can affect your access to healthcare, the most common health risks, and your overall lifespan.
The health insurance experts at Compare the Market looked into the leading causes of death in the US and Australia to show you which health risks are most fatal in each country. From heart disease and cancer to deadly accidents and skin conditions, here are the main factors in fatalities worldwide:
In both Australia and the US, the most common causes of death were non-contagious diseases. Neoplasms (tissue growths and tumours, including cancerous ones) are the leading cause in Australia, with 193.01 fatalities per 100k residents (as of 2023). They were also the second-most common factor in American deaths, with 373.07 cases per 100k people.
Heart and vascular diseases were another common issue, dominating the US’s mortality rate with 920.07 deaths per 100k people. This means that almost three times more people die from heart issues in the US than from cancer and other neoplasms. The same problem is also the second-most common cause of fatalities in Australia, with 157.06 people per 100k affected.
Accidents, injuries, and homicides are also placed among the top five in both countries, ranking third in the US (237.18 per 100k residents) and fourth in Australia (45.88 per 100k).
Ranking third in Australia with 56.04 deaths per 100k people, and fourth in the US with 132.48 deaths per 100k people, respiratory diseases were also one of the most common factors in fatalities around the world.
Neurological diseases rounded out the top five in the US (44.44 deaths per 100k), while mental health disorders were fifth in Australia (43.90 per 100k).
We’ve covered some of the biggest health risks across Australia, but what are the most common causes of death by state? These are the areas at the greatest risk of different medical issues:
As mentioned already, neoplasms are the leading cause of death in Australia as of 2023. Heart and vascular problems ranked second, while respiratory diseases were the third most common factor in fatalities. Here’s a complete list of the health issues causing the most deaths in the country, based on the number of instances per 100,000 residents:
Below is the full list of the top causes of death in Australia, based on deaths per 100,000 residents:
As one of the top five leading causes of death in Australia, mental health disorders are becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in the country. Tasmania is the region that recorded the most deaths from mental health problems compared to its population, with 65.99 instances per 100k residents.
New South Wales follows closely in second, as 50.36 deaths per 100k residents were reportedly related to mental health disorders. Queensland is in third, with 48.52 mental health-related deaths per 100k.
Meanwhile, the Northern Territory had the fewest deaths in this category, recording just 18.06 per 100k people. This shows how health risks can vary regionally across the country.
Musculoskeletal diseases are conditions that affect the bones or muscles. These often aren’t discussed as potentially fatal, but our data shows that they’re still a common issue that many Australians face, sometimes ending in tragic circumstances.
Once again, Tasmania is the region that experienced the most deaths from musculoskeletal conditions, with 11.17 deaths per 100k people. The Australian Capital Territory is the second-most affected state, with 7.71 deaths per 100k, followed by New South Wales in third place (6.73).
Finally, Western Australia had the fewest musculoskeletal disease-related deaths, recording just 5.35 per 100k people (less than half Tasmania’s).
While the overall mortality rate from diseases affecting the eyes, ears, and skin is relatively low, it varies substantially by state.
Tasmania, for example, recorded the most skin disease-related deaths (4.54 per 100k), followed by the Northern Territory (3.87 per 100k) and Queensland (3.10 per 100k). Meanwhile, Western Australia only experienced 2.19 skin-related deaths per 100k people, making it the least affected state.
South Australia and the Northern Territory have recorded no deaths from ear-related issues. In contrast, the Australian Capital Territory has reported 0.88 per 100k residents, making it the worst-affected state in the country.
When it comes to ocular diseases, however, the results are reversed. South Australia experienced the most deaths from eye-related conditions in the country, with 0.22 deaths per 100k residents reported, followed by Western Australia with 0.14 per 100k. The Australian Capital Territory, on the other hand, experienced no eye-related deaths, tying with Queensland, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.
Although the same broad categories affect Americans when it comes to the most common factors in fatalities, there are other causes of death in the US that aren’t as prevalent in Australia. These include accidents, injuries, homicides, infectious diseases, and complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Plus, since the US has 50 states, there’s much more regional variation than in other countries.
Heart disease deaths, along with other vascular conditions, appear to be very common in the US, with 920.07 fatalities per 100k people. That’s more than twice as many deaths as the second most common contributor to America’s mortality rate, neoplasms (including cancer), which were reported in 373.07 deaths per 100k residents. Accidents, injuries, and homicides ranked third, with 237.18 instances per 100k.
Here are the top 10 causes of death in the US based on deaths per 100,000 residents:
Heart issues and vascular problems may be the main contributing factors to the US’s mortality rate, but which states are the worst affected?
Our data shows that West Virginia experienced the most fatalities associated with heart disease and similar conditions, with 1,397.27 cases per 100k people.
Mississippi followed in second with 1,277.97 deaths per 100k, while Alabama ranked third with 1,248.28 per 100k. In fact, multiple other states break the threshold of 1,200 deaths per 100k residents, including Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Conversely, Utah registered just 563.60 deaths from heart and vascular diseases per 100k people, making it the least affected state in the country.
Once again, West Virginia tops the list when ranking states by the number of deaths caused by neoplasms, including cancer. It led with 554.17 deaths per 100k residents, while Maine and Vermont followed with 515.21 and 481.74, respectively.
Utah ranked as the state with the lowest mortality rate from neoplasms and cancers, with just 218.79 deaths per 100k.
Continuing its high rankings on our list, West Virginia is the most accident-prone state in the US, with 421.83 deaths from injuries, freak incidents, and homicides per 100k residents. Maine made another appearance at number two, with 325.41 accidental deaths per 100k people, while Mississippi placed third with 315.38.
Nebraska, on the other hand, is the safest state in terms of accidents and homicides. It reports just 165.78 deadly incidents per 100k citizens.
While deaths during pregnancy may appear rare at first glance, they’re clearly still a source of concern for many people looking to start families. Our data revealed that of the top 10 states with the most fatalities during childbirth or pregnancy, 7 were in the Southern United States, with Mississippi being the worst affected (1.26 deaths per 100k).
Arkansas followed closely behind with 1.21 per 100k, while North Carolina recorded the third-highest number of childbirth deaths (1.10 per 100k).
Stillbirths are another uncomfortable topic to discuss when it comes to deaths during childbirth, with our regional data highlighting Arkansas as the worst-affected state. It reports 4.70 stillbirths or infant deaths per 100k residents, compared to 4.59 from Mississippi and 3.92 from North Carolina, which followed it in our rankings.
Reading into the leading causes of death can be relatively unnerving, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle could help to combat many of the most common risks we face. Steven Spicer, Executive General Manager of Health, Life and Energy at Compare the Market, says:
“We could all be making changes to our lifestyles to get active and pay attention to our wellbeing, and while it might seem intimidating at first, just a few minor tweaks could impact your mood and overall health.
“With heart and vascular problems proving to be such a major issue, try focusing on your diet and cutting down on fatty foods. Regular exercise can also help keep you in good shape, improve your fitness, help fight off respiratory conditions later in life, and improve your mental health by giving you manageable goals to work toward.
“It’s also important to make sure you have the finances to cover any emergency medical expenses or long-term conditions. Try comparing health insurance to see if you can find a good deal on your premium so you can spend more on the things you love the most in your life.”
This dataset ranks the most common causes of death across all U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) and all Australian states/territories by the number of deaths per capita for each cause, using population data from World Population Review. The data is correct as of 2023.
Factors:
The causes of death were categorised according to the World Health Organisation IC-10 to create a unified taxonomy. The data was refined to the IC-10 chapter headings using the IC-10 codes provided in each dataset. The US data did not include data on chapters for mental health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, skin disorders or ear disorders.
A taxonomy list has been provided with simplified chapter headings and links to the WHO IC-10 website.
Tables for each state showing the top 10 causes of death per 100k population were created, along with a table showing the leading cause of death in each state/territory.
A top 10 list of causes per 100k population was created for the US and Australia, grouping their respective state-level data.
For each cause, a table was created showing the states with the highest death rates per 100k population.
Sources: