State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Rhode Island - Mortality Statistics

7,378 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 51.9 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

7,378
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −6%
vs national avg: 51.9
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Rhode Island's leading killer is heart disease at 155.7 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 6% below the national figure.

155.7
Heart disease /100K, leading: −6%
vs national avg rate: -19.7%
rate, 1999-2017: 7,378
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 44 · CDC WONDER 2017

Rhode Island mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 51.9/100K DEATHS-SMALL 7,378 RANK-LOWER #33/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 155.7 NAT-INLINE −6% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -19.7% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Nebraska · ±0.1 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 7,378 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 51.9/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #33/51 · 6% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Nebraska (-0.1/100K).

Neighbourhood around Rhode Island's 51.9/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 6,167 deaths (83.6% of all deaths) in Rhode Island.

1. Heart disease 2,339 (31.7%)

2. Cancer 2,154 (29.2%)

3. Unintentional injuries 718 (9.7%)

4. CLRD 521 (7.1%)

5. Alzheimer's disease 435 (5.9%)

All Causes of Death in Rhode Island (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	2,339	31.7%	155.7
2	Cancer	2,154	29.2%	154.2
3	Unintentional injuries	718	9.7%	60.0
4	CLRD	521	7.1%	36.2
5	Alzheimer's disease	435	5.9%	27.3
6	Stroke	425	5.8%	29.4
7	Diabetes	275	3.7%	18.8
8	Influenza and pneumonia	206	2.8%	13.9
9	Kidney disease	176	2.4%	11.6
10	Suicide	129	1.7%	11.8

Mortality Trends Over Time

Rhode Island - 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	7,804	64.6	-
2000	7,934	64.8	+1.7%
2001	7,909	64.3	-0.3%
2002	7,990	63.9	+1.0%
2003	7,847	62.1	-1.8%
2004	7,709	60.3	-1.8%
2005	7,747	60.2	+0.5%
2006	7,336	56.6	-5.3%
2007	7,321	56.1	-0.2%
2008	7,388	56.3	+0.9%
2009	7,063	53.5	-4.4%
2010	7,075	53.5	+0.2%
2011	7,032	52.0	-0.6%
2012	6,868	50.5	-2.3%
2013	7,180	52.2	+4.5%
2014	7,132	51.4	-0.7%
2015	7,394	52.7	+3.7%
2016	7,039	50.1	-4.8%
2017	7,378	51.9	+4.8%

(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 Rhode Island (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Rhode Island (this state)	2,339	Heart disease	155.7
Connecticut	7,138	Heart disease	141.6
Massachusetts	12,934	Cancer	149.3

Compare leading causes of death in Rhode Island →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Rhode Island 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 (51.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Nebraska 51.8/100K New Hampshire 52.3/100K Virginia 51.5/100K District of Columbia 52.5/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Delaware 11.6/100K Illinois 11.2/100K California 10.5/100K Texas 13.4/100K

Dig deeper into Rhode Island's mortality data

All causes in Rhode Island → Compare Rhode Island →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Rhode Island? ▼

Heart disease led Rhode Island in 2017, with 2,339 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 155.7 per 100,000 population.

How many people died in Rhode Island in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 7,378 recorded deaths in Rhode Island across 10 tracked causes of death.

What are the top 3 causes of death in Rhode Island? ▼

The top 3 causes of death in Rhode Island (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (2,339 deaths), 2) Cancer (2,154 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (718 deaths).

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

Rhode Island's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 51.9 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Rhode Island changed by -5.5%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 19.7%.

What years of mortality data are available for Rhode Island? ▼

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

Where does Rhode Island rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

For Heart disease, Rhode Island's national position is #29 of 51 states, at 155.7 deaths per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

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.