Loss touches families in many different ways. This page gathers a small set of reliable figures that writers, educators, and readers can reference when discussing bereavement in the United States. It does not describe any one person’s experience of grief, and it is not medical or mental-health advice.
Key figures
Loss in the United States
3,090,964
resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2023.
That is the latest final nationwide death total in the source used here.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 20248,468
deaths a day, on average, in 2023.
This is an approximate daily average, calculated from the final annual total of 3,090,964 deaths divided by 365 days.
Source: Calculated from National Center for Health Statistics final 2023 data70.9%
of U.S. deaths in 2023 came from the 10 leading causes of death.
Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries were the three leading causes.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024680,981
deaths in 2023 were attributed to heart disease.
Heart disease accounted for 22.0% of all U.S. deaths that year.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024613,352
deaths in 2023 were attributed to cancer.
Cancer accounted for 19.8% of all U.S. deaths that year.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024222,698
deaths in 2023 were attributed to unintentional injuries.
Unintentional injuries were the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 202420,145
infant deaths occurred in the United States in 2023.
The infant mortality rate was 560.2 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024Research context
What research says about prolonged grief
9.8%
was the pooled estimate for prolonged grief disorder in a review of bereaved adults.
The 2017 review covered 14 studies of non-psychiatric adult populations exposed to non-violent bereavement. It is not a U.S. population estimate and should be read with the authors’ cautions about study differences.
Source: Lundorff et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, 2017This page cannot tell what support any particular person needs. When grief feels overwhelming, unsafe, or impossible to manage, a qualified mental-health professional can provide appropriate support. In the United States, immediate emotional distress or safety concerns can be addressed through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Sources and methodology
How to use these figures
The U.S. mortality figures come from the National Center for Health Statistics’ final 2023 mortality data, based on death certificates filed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The prolonged-grief figure comes from a peer-reviewed systematic review and meta-analysis, not from a U.S.-only national survey.
- Murphy, Kochanek, Xu, and Arias. “Mortality in the United States, 2023.” National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief No. 521, December 2024.
- Lundorff et al. “Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of Affective Disorders, April 2017.
Cite this page
John Strouse. “U.S. Grief, Loss & Bereavement Statistics, 2026.” Accessed September 11, 2026. https://johnstrouse.com/loss-and-bereavement-statistics
For a specific number, link directly to its heading, such as the 2023 U.S. death total, and cite the original source alongside it.