Leading causes of death among children aged 10-14 years in the United States 2020-21

In 2021, the leading causes of death among children and adolescents in the United States aged 10 to 14 were unintentional injuries, intentional self-harm (suicide), and cancer. That year, unintentional injuries accounted for around 26 percent of all deaths among this age group.

Leading causes of death among older teens

Like those aged 10 to 14 years, the leading cause of death among older teenagers in the U.S. aged 15 to 19 years is unintentional injuries. In 2021, unintentional injuries accounted for almost 38 percent of all deaths among older teens. However, unlike those aged 10 to 14, the second leading cause of death among teens aged 15 to 19 is assault or homicide. Sadly, the third leading cause of death among this age group is suicide, making suicide among the leading three causes of death for both age groups.

Teen suicide

Suicide remains a major problem among teenagers in the United States, as reflected in the leading causes of death among this age group. It was estimated that in 2021, around 22 percent of high school students in the U.S. considered attempting suicide in the past year, with this rate twice as high for girls than for boys. The states with the highest death rates due to suicide among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are Idaho, Colorado, and Utah. In 2020, the death rate from suicide among this age group in Idaho was 25 per 100,000 population. In comparison, New York, the state with the lowest rate, had just under five suicide deaths among those aged 15 to 19 years per 100,000 population.