State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Minnesota - Mortality Statistics

31,431 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 46.5 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

31,431
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: −16%
vs national avg: 46.5
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Minnesota's leading killer is cancer at 146.8 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 16% below the national figure.

146.8
Cancer /100K, leading: −16%
vs national avg rate: -23.1%
rate, 1999-2017: 31,431
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 27 · CDC WONDER 2017

Minnesota mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 46.5/100K DEATHS-MID 31K deaths RANK-QUIET #49/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 146.8 NAT-BELOW −16% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -23.1% 18y PHOTO-FINISH New York · ±0.1 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 31,431 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 46.5/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #49/51 · 16% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: New York (+0.1/100K).

Neighbourhood around Minnesota's 46.5/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 25,852 deaths (82.3% of all deaths) in Minnesota.

1. Cancer 9,896 (31.5%)

2. Heart disease 8,230 (26.2%)

3. Unintentional injuries 2,788 (8.9%)

4. Alzheimer's disease 2,474 (7.9%)

5. CLRD 2,464 (7.8%)

All Causes of Death in Minnesota (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	9,896	31.5%	146.8
2	Heart disease	8,230	26.2%	119.1
3	Unintentional injuries	2,788	8.9%	44.6
4	Alzheimer's disease	2,474	7.9%	34.9
5	CLRD	2,464	7.8%	36.3
6	Stroke	2,250	7.2%	32.6
7	Diabetes	1,312	4.2%	19.3
8	Suicide	783	2.5%	13.9
9	Influenza and pneumonia	697	2.2%	9.9
10	Kidney disease	537	1.7%	7.7

Mortality Trends Over Time

Minnesota - 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	29,639	60.5	-
2000	28,842	58.4	-2.7%
2001	28,583	56.9	-0.9%
2002	28,972	56.7	+1.4%
2003	28,149	54.2	-2.8%
2004	27,536	52.2	-2.2%
2005	27,655	51.6	+0.4%
2006	26,864	49.2	-2.9%
2007	26,888	48.2	+0.1%
2008	27,703	48.8	+3.0%
2009	27,237	47.1	-1.7%
2010	27,669	47.1	+1.6%
2011	28,071	46.7	+1.5%
2012	28,035	45.7	-0.1%
2013	28,752	45.8	+2.6%
2014	28,993	45.4	+0.8%
2015	30,049	46.0	+3.6%
2016	30,291	45.6	+0.8%
2017	31,431	46.5	+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

Compare mortality data with states bordering Minnesota (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Minnesota (this state)	9,896	Cancer	146.8
Iowa	7,180	Heart disease	167.4
North Dakota	1,326	Heart disease	137.8
South Dakota	1,715	Cancer	156.9
Wisconsin	11,860	Heart disease	157.6

Compare leading causes of death in Minnesota →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Minnesota 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 (46.5/100K here), excluding bordering states.

New York 46.6/100K Connecticut 46.2/100K Massachusetts 46.8/100K California 47.6/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Florida 14.0/100K Michigan 14.1/100K Georgia 13.6/100K North Carolina 14.3/100K

Dig deeper into Minnesota's mortality data

All causes in Minnesota → Compare Minnesota →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Minnesota? ▼

Cancer tops the 2017 record for Minnesota, accounting for 9,896 deaths at 146.8 per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

How many people died in Minnesota in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 31,431 recorded deaths in Minnesota across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Minnesota (2017) are: 1) Cancer (9,896 deaths), 2) Heart disease (8,230 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (2,788 deaths).

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

Minnesota's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 46.5 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Minnesota changed by 6.0%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 23.1%.

What years of mortality data are available for Minnesota? ▼

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

Where does Minnesota rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Minnesota places #37 nationally (out of 51 states) for Cancer, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 146.8 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.