State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Alaska - Mortality Statistics

3,118 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 49.9 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

3,118
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: −10%
vs national avg: 49.9
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Alaska's leading killer is cancer at 139.2 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 10% below the national figure.

139.2
Cancer /100K, leading: −10%
vs national avg rate: -24.2%
rate, 1999-2017: 3,118
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 02 · CDC WONDER 2017

Alaska mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 49.9/100K DEATHS-TINY 3,118 RANK-QUIET #42/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 139.2 NAT-BELOW −10% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -24.2% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Utah · ±0.0 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 3,118 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 49.9/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #42/51 · 10% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Utah (+0.0/100K).

Neighbourhood around Alaska's 49.9/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 2,580 deaths (82.7% of all deaths) in Alaska.

1. Cancer 926 (29.7%)

2. Heart disease 814 (26.1%)

3. Unintentional injuries 436 (14.0%)

4. CLRD 204 (6.5%)

5. Suicide 200 (6.4%)

All Causes of Death in Alaska (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	926	29.7%	139.2
2	Heart disease	814	26.1%	135.0
3	Unintentional injuries	436	14.0%	63.7
4	CLRD	204	6.5%	35.9
5	Suicide	200	6.4%	27.0
6	Stroke	190	6.1%	35.1
7	Diabetes	130	4.2%	19.3
8	Alzheimer's disease	98	3.1%	22.1
9	Influenza and pneumonia	66	2.1%	11.7
10	Kidney disease	54	1.7%	9.9

Mortality Trends Over Time

Alaska - 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	2,074	65.8	-
2000	2,302	69.6	+11.0%
2001	2,228	62.9	-3.2%
2002	2,279	61.7	+2.3%
2003	2,384	63.9	+4.6%
2004	2,315	57.8	-2.9%
2005	2,375	57.3	+2.6%
2006	2,478	58.5	+4.3%
2007	2,545	58.0	+2.7%
2008	2,629	57.5	+3.3%
2009	2,699	57.1	+2.7%
2010	2,755	56.7	+2.1%
2011	2,854	55.0	+3.6%
2012	2,851	52.9	-0.1%
2013	2,931	52.5	+2.8%
2014	2,943	52.0	+0.4%
2015	3,100	53.2	+5.3%
2016	3,241	53.7	+4.5%
2017	3,118	49.9	-3.8%

(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

Alaska has no bordering states tracked in this dataset. Compare its leading causes against any other state below.

Compare leading causes of death in Alaska →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Alaska 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 (49.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Utah 49.9/100K Florida 50.0/100K Arizona 50.1/100K Maryland 49.6/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Wyoming 26.9/100K Montana 28.9/100K New Mexico 23.3/100K Idaho 23.2/100K

Dig deeper into Alaska's mortality data

All causes in Alaska → Compare Alaska →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Alaska? ▼

Cancer led Alaska in 2017, with 926 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 139.2 per 100,000 population.

How many people died in Alaska in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 3,118 recorded deaths in Alaska across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Alaska (2017) are: 1) Cancer (926 deaths), 2) Heart disease (814 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (436 deaths).

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

Alaska's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 49.9 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Alaska changed by 50.3%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 24.2%.

What years of mortality data are available for Alaska? ▼

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

Where does Alaska rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Alaska ranks #44 out of 51 states for Cancer with an age-adjusted rate of 139.2 per 100,000 (higher rank = higher rate).

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.