State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Mississippi - Mortality Statistics

24,726 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 72.3 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

24,726
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +30%
vs national avg: 72.3
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Mississippi's leading killer is heart disease at 231.6 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 30% above the national figure.

231.6
Heart disease /100K, leading: +30%
vs national avg rate: -14.9%
rate, 1999-2017: 24,726
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 28 · CDC WONDER 2017

Mississippi mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 72.3/100K DEATHS-MID 25K deaths RANK-HOT #1/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 231.6 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +30% vs US TREND-DOWN -14.9% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Oklahoma · ±2.4 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 24,726 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 72.3/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #1/51 · 30% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Oklahoma (-2.4/100K).

Neighbourhood around Mississippi's 72.3/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 19,968 deaths (80.8% of all deaths) in Mississippi.

1. Heart disease 7,944 (32.1%)

2. Cancer 6,526 (26.4%)

3. CLRD 2,037 (8.2%)

4. Unintentional injuries 1,738 (7.0%)

5. Stroke 1,723 (7.0%)

All Causes of Death in Mississippi (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	7,944	32.1%	231.6
2	Cancer	6,526	26.4%	183.1
3	CLRD	2,037	8.2%	58.3
4	Unintentional injuries	1,738	7.0%	56.3
5	Stroke	1,723	7.0%	51.1
6	Alzheimer's disease	1,626	6.6%	49.6
7	Diabetes	1,164	4.7%	33.3
8	Influenza and pneumonia	782	3.2%	23.0
9	Kidney disease	741	3.0%	21.7
10	Suicide	445	1.8%	15.0

Mortality Trends Over Time

Mississippi - 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	22,919	85.0	-
2000	23,074	84.9	+0.7%
2001	22,641	83.0	-1.9%
2002	23,045	84.0	+1.8%
2003	22,462	81.4	-2.5%
2004	21,913	78.3	-2.4%
2005	22,806	80.2	+4.1%
2006	22,222	77.7	-2.6%
2007	21,942	75.5	-1.3%
2008	22,400	75.9	+2.1%
2009	21,770	73.0	-2.8%
2010	22,225	73.5	+2.1%
2011	22,184	72.2	-0.2%
2012	22,266	70.7	+0.4%
2013	23,073	71.7	+3.6%
2014	23,063	70.3	-0.0%
2015	24,373	73.5	+5.7%
2016	24,557	72.9	+0.8%
2017	24,726	72.3	+0.7%

(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 Mississippi (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Mississippi (this state)	7,944	Heart disease	231.6
Alabama	13,110	Heart disease	223.2
Arkansas	8,270	Heart disease	223.8
Louisiana	11,260	Heart disease	214.4
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2

Compare leading causes of death in Mississippi →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Mississippi 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 (72.3/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Oklahoma 69.9/100K West Virginia 69.9/100K Kentucky 67.5/100K 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.

Iowa 15.0/100K Pennsylvania 15.0/100K Hawaii 15.2/100K Nebraska 14.7/100K

Dig deeper into Mississippi's mortality data

All causes in Mississippi → Compare Mississippi →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Mississippi? ▼

Heart disease tops the 2017 record for Mississippi, accounting for 7,944 deaths at 231.6 per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

How many people died in Mississippi in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 24,726 recorded deaths in Mississippi across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Mississippi (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (7,944 deaths), 2) Cancer (6,526 deaths), and 3) CLRD (2,037 deaths).

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

Mississippi's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 72.3 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Mississippi changed by 7.9%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 14.9%.

What years of mortality data are available for Mississippi? ▼

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

Where does Mississippi rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Mississippi places #2 nationally (out of 51 states) for Heart disease, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 231.6 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.