State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Missouri - Mortality Statistics

46,763 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 61.7 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

46,763
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +11%
vs national avg: 61.7
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Missouri's leading killer is heart disease at 191.1 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 11% above the national figure.

191.1
Heart disease /100K, leading: +11%
vs national avg rate: -19.5%
rate, 1999-2017: 46,763
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 29 · CDC WONDER 2017

Missouri mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 61.7/100K DEATHS-MID 47K deaths RANK-UPPER #11/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 191.1 NAT-ABOVE +11% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -19.5% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Indiana · ±0.1 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 46,763 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 61.7/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #11/51 · 11% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Indiana (+0.1/100K).

Neighbourhood around Missouri's 61.7/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 38,666 deaths (82.7% of all deaths) in Missouri.

1. Heart disease 14,820 (31.7%)

2. Cancer 12,971 (27.7%)

3. CLRD 3,940 (8.4%)

4. Unintentional injuries 3,776 (8.1%)

5. Stroke 3,159 (6.8%)

All Causes of Death in Missouri (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	14,820	31.7%	191.1
2	Cancer	12,971	27.7%	167.3
3	CLRD	3,940	8.4%	50.7
4	Unintentional injuries	3,776	8.1%	58.8
5	Stroke	3,159	6.8%	41.0
6	Alzheimer's disease	2,545	5.4%	32.3
7	Diabetes	1,605	3.4%	21.0
8	Kidney disease	1,515	3.2%	19.6
9	Influenza and pneumonia	1,281	2.7%	16.7
10	Suicide	1,151	2.5%	18.5

Mortality Trends Over Time

Missouri - 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	45,434	76.6	-
2000	44,308	74.2	-2.5%
2001	44,092	73.1	-0.5%
2002	44,623	73.4	+1.2%
2003	44,410	72.3	-0.5%
2004	42,941	69.4	-3.3%
2005	43,267	69.0	+0.8%
2006	42,868	67.2	-0.9%
2007	42,409	65.5	-1.1%
2008	44,015	66.9	+3.8%
2009	42,276	63.4	-4.0%
2010	42,759	63.3	+1.1%
2011	42,725	62.0	-0.1%
2012	42,928	61.3	+0.5%
2013	43,884	61.5	+2.2%
2014	44,573	61.4	+1.6%
2015	45,567	61.9	+2.2%
2016	45,506	61.2	-0.1%
2017	46,763	61.7	+2.8%

(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 Missouri (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Missouri (this state)	14,820	Heart disease	191.1
Arkansas	8,270	Heart disease	223.8
Illinois	25,394	Heart disease	163.3
Iowa	7,180	Heart disease	167.4
Kansas	5,723	Heart disease	158.0
Kentucky	10,343	Heart disease	195.9
Nebraska	3,581	Heart disease	149.3
Oklahoma	10,772	Heart disease	237.2
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2

Compare leading causes of death in Missouri →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Missouri 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 (61.7/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Indiana 61.8/100K Ohio 62.7/100K South Carolina 60.1/100K Michigan 59.4/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Vermont 18.3/100K Arizona 18.2/100K Maine 18.9/100K New Hampshire 18.9/100K

Dig deeper into Missouri's mortality data

All causes in Missouri → Compare Missouri →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Missouri? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Heart disease claimed the most lives in Missouri during 2017: 14,820 deaths, 191.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in Missouri in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 46,763 recorded deaths in Missouri across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Missouri (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (14,820 deaths), 2) Cancer (12,971 deaths), and 3) CLRD (3,940 deaths).

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

Missouri's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 61.7 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Missouri changed by 2.9%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 19.5%.

What years of mortality data are available for Missouri? ▼

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

Where does Missouri rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Out of 51 states tracked for Heart disease, Missouri sits at #11, with an age-adjusted rate of 191.1 per 100,000 -- higher rank means a higher mortality 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.