State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Arkansas - Mortality Statistics

25,233 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 69.2 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

25,233
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +25%
vs national avg: 69.2
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Arkansas's leading killer is heart disease at 223.8 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 25% above the national figure.

223.8
Heart disease /100K, leading: +25%
vs national avg rate: -9.8%
rate, 1999-2017: 25,233
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 05 · CDC WONDER 2017

Arkansas mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 69.2/100K DEATHS-MID 25K deaths RANK-HOT #4/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 223.8 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +25% vs US TREND-DOWN -9.8% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Oklahoma · ±0.7 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 25,233 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 69.2/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #4/51 · 25% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Oklahoma (+0.7/100K).

Neighbourhood around Arkansas's 69.2/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 20,541 deaths (81.4% of all deaths) in Arkansas.

1. Heart disease 8,270 (32.8%)

2. Cancer 6,517 (25.8%)

3. CLRD 2,517 (10.0%)

4. Unintentional injuries 1,625 (6.4%)

5. Stroke 1,612 (6.4%)

All Causes of Death in Arkansas (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	8,270	32.8%	223.8
2	Cancer	6,517	25.8%	173.6
3	CLRD	2,517	10.0%	66.7
4	Unintentional injuries	1,625	6.4%	51.8
5	Stroke	1,612	6.4%	43.8
6	Alzheimer's disease	1,436	5.7%	39.4
7	Diabetes	1,180	4.7%	32.4
8	Kidney disease	725	2.9%	19.7
9	Influenza and pneumonia	720	2.9%	19.8
10	Suicide	631	2.5%	20.8

Mortality Trends Over Time

Arkansas - 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	22,012	76.7	-
2000	22,086	76.3	+0.3%
2001	22,102	75.9	+0.1%
2002	22,694	77.4	+2.7%
2003	22,073	74.7	-2.7%
2004	21,762	73.0	-1.4%
2005	22,091	73.2	+1.5%
2006	21,791	70.7	-1.4%
2007	21,986	70.4	+0.9%
2008	22,853	72.0	+3.9%
2009	22,388	69.7	-2.0%
2010	22,360	68.8	-0.1%
2011	22,738	68.3	+1.7%
2012	22,699	67.3	-0.2%
2013	22,990	67.1	+1.3%
2014	23,178	66.8	+0.8%
2015	24,453	69.3	+5.5%
2016	24,413	68.1	-0.2%
2017	25,233	69.2	+3.4%

(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 Arkansas (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Arkansas (this state)	8,270	Heart disease	223.8
Louisiana	11,260	Heart disease	214.4
Mississippi	7,944	Heart disease	231.6
Missouri	14,820	Heart disease	191.1
Oklahoma	10,772	Heart disease	237.2
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2
Texas	45,346	Heart disease	169.2

Compare leading causes of death in Arkansas →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Arkansas 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 (69.2/100K here), excluding bordering states.

West Virginia 69.9/100K Kentucky 67.5/100K Alabama 67.3/100K Ohio 62.7/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Colorado 20.3/100K Nevada 20.3/100K North Dakota 20.1/100K Kansas 19.1/100K

Dig deeper into Arkansas's mortality data

All causes in Arkansas → Compare Arkansas →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Arkansas? ▼

In 2017, Arkansas's top killer was Heart disease -- 8,270 deaths at an age-adjusted rate of 223.8 per 100,000.

How many people died in Arkansas in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 25,233 recorded deaths in Arkansas across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Arkansas (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (8,270 deaths), 2) Cancer (6,517 deaths), and 3) CLRD (2,517 deaths).

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

Arkansas's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 69.2 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Arkansas changed by 14.6%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 9.8%.

What years of mortality data are available for Arkansas? ▼

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

Where does Arkansas rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Arkansas places #3 nationally (out of 51 states) for Heart disease, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 223.8 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.