State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Alabama - Mortality Statistics

39,366 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 67.3 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

39,366
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +21%
vs national avg: 67.3
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Alabama's leading killer is heart disease at 223.2 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 21% above the national figure.

223.2
Heart disease /100K, leading: +21%
vs national avg rate: -15.6%
rate, 1999-2017: 39,366
total deaths, 2017

Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS), 2017. Age-adjusted rates allow fair comparison across states.

FIPS 01 · CDC WONDER 2017

Alabama mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 67.3/100K DEATHS-MID 39K deaths RANK-HOT #6/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 223.2 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +21% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -15.6% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Kentucky · ±0.2 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 39,366 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 67.3/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #6/51 · 21% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Kentucky (+0.2/100K).

Neighbourhood around Alabama's 67.3/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 32,638 deaths (82.9% of all deaths) in Alabama.

1. Heart disease 13,110 (33.3%)

2. Cancer 10,410 (26.4%)

3. CLRD 3,484 (8.9%)

4. Stroke 2,931 (7.4%)

5. Unintentional injuries 2,703 (6.9%)

All Causes of Death in Alabama (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	13,110	33.3%	223.2
2	Cancer	10,410	26.4%	170.0
3	CLRD	3,484	8.9%	57.8
4	Stroke	2,931	7.4%	50.0
5	Unintentional injuries	2,703	6.9%	53.8
6	Alzheimer's disease	2,563	6.5%	45.2
7	Influenza and pneumonia	1,176	3.0%	20.2
8	Diabetes	1,173	3.0%	19.8
9	Kidney disease	980	2.5%	16.5
10	Suicide	836	2.1%	16.6

Mortality Trends Over Time

Alabama - average age-adjusted death rate across all leading causes.

Show the full 19-year data table (deaths, rate, year-over-year change)

Year	Total Deaths	Avg Age-Adj Rate	Deaths YoY
1999	35,440	79.7	-
2000	35,422	78.8	-0.1%
2001	35,459	78.3	+0.1%
2002	36,091	79.2	+1.8%
2003	36,025	78.4	-0.2%
2004	35,698	77.0	-0.9%
2005	36,023	76.3	+0.9%
2006	35,589	73.9	-1.2%
2007	35,141	71.7	-1.3%
2008	35,888	71.9	+2.1%
2009	35,691	70.3	-0.5%
2010	35,788	69.6	+0.3%
2011	35,733	68.1	-0.2%
2012	35,629	66.5	-0.3%
2013	36,336	66.5	+2.0%
2014	36,846	66.2	+1.4%
2015	38,527	68.1	+4.6%
2016	38,776	67.5	+0.6%
2017	39,366	67.3	+1.5%

(Phase 2 - dim 5+6 connective signal). The card grid + this table used to show the SAME 3-5 neighbor states' SAME stats twice in a row -- merged into one section, the table absorbs the card grid's job since it already links each state name AND adds California's own row for direct comparison. -->

Nearby States & Comparisons

Compare mortality data with states bordering Alabama (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Alabama (this state)	13,110	Heart disease	223.2
Florida	46,440	Heart disease	145.8
Georgia	18,389	Heart disease	175.8
Mississippi	7,944	Heart disease	231.6
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2

Compare leading causes of death in Alabama →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Alabama in 2017. Border neighbors stay in the table above; these lists are nearest other jurisdictions on published age-adjusted rates.

Similar mean leading-cause rate

Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (67.3/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Kentucky 67.5/100K Louisiana 66.1/100K Arkansas 69.2/100K Oklahoma 69.9/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

Nearest jurisdictions by suicide age-adjusted rate, excluding the mean-rate peer set and bordering states.

Washington 16.9/100K Indiana 16.3/100K South Carolina 16.3/100K Wisconsin 15.4/100K

Dig deeper into Alabama's mortality data

All causes in Alabama → Compare Alabama →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Alabama? ▼

Alabama recorded 13,110 deaths from Heart disease in 2017 (age-adjusted rate 223.2 per 100,000), the state's leading cause.

How many people died in Alabama in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 39,366 recorded deaths in Alabama across 10 tracked causes of death.

What are the top 3 causes of death in Alabama? ▼

The top 3 causes of death in Alabama (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (13,110 deaths), 2) Cancer (10,410 deaths), and 3) CLRD (3,484 deaths).

How does Alabama's mortality rate compare to the national average? ▼

Alabama's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 67.3 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

Has the death rate in Alabama increased or decreased over time? ▼

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Alabama changed by 11.1%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 15.6%.

What years of mortality data are available for Alabama? ▼

Mortality data for Alabama is available from 1999 to 2017, covering 19 years of CDC WONDER data.

Where does Alabama rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Alabama places #4 nationally (out of 51 states) for Heart disease, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 223.2 per 100,000.

Data source & methodology

Rates are per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted rates use the year 2000 US standard population. Data covers 1999-2017. Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

According to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, PlainHealthData's mortality figures are rendered directly from 9,690 official state-year-cause records (NCHS Leading Causes of Death for calendar years 1999-2017). June 2026 is when this portal last verified that frozen CDC file is intact; it is not a newer claims year. No figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2017.