Child Loss Statistics

When a parent loses a child, especially when the loss is sudden and unexpected, they may have many questions, including “How common is child loss?” and “Where can I find child loss statistics?” To aid in these questions, data is broken up by age, gender, race, trends and causes of death and can be explored by clicking on the buttons below. Further, interactive tables are available to explore the data by using the Do-It-Yourself feature.


Trends

Child Loss Statistics: Trends

Although encouraging to see the overall trends in child loss decrease, recent years have shown slight increases in the rate of deaths. Explore the data below to see what the trends in death rate have been by age, gender and race.

What is the Trend of Child Deaths and Death Rate?

What is the Trend of Child Deaths and Death Rate?

Despite an increase in 2015 and 2016, the overall number of deaths and death rate has decreased since 1999.

Child Deaths and Death Rate Trended Since 1999

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children Less Than 1 Year Old?

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children Less Than 1 Year Old?

The number of children less than one year old who have passed away per the population (Death Rate) has decreased since 1999 – a positive sign to see this number going in the right direction.

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children of Older Age Groups?

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children of Older Age Groups?

While the Death Rate has generally trended downward for every age group since 1999, the 16-20 year old group has recently seen an increase in recent years.

How Does the Death Rate by Gender Trend Over Time?

How Does the Death Rate by Gender Trend Over Time?

Boys and girls experience a decrease in Death Rate since 1999, but both genders see an increase in 2015 and 2016.

What is the Death Rate Trend for Each Race?

What is the Death Rate Trend for Each Race?

Death Rate generally trends downward for each race during this time frame, however, each race experiences an uptick in recent years.

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Year?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Year?

The percent of total deaths by race remains relatively static until recent years, in which Black or African American begin to have a larger percentage.

Causes of Death

Child Loss Statistics: Causes of Death

Seeing the causes of death can help explain the large percentages in deaths for children less than one year old and for children 16-20 years-old. Explore the data below to learn more about causes of death by age group, gender and race.

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Death by Age Group?

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Death by Age Group?

While the “<1 Year” Age Group has the largest number of deaths, with the leading cause being a rather general bucket (“Perinatal” meaning from the time pregnancy begins through one year after birth), the number one cause in all other age groups combined actually surpasses it. “External causes of Morbidity and Mortality” includes automobile accidents, assault and self-harm, among other causes. Not far behind this cause is “Neoplasms,” which is more commonly known as cancer.

Visit the Do-it-Yourself Causes of Death page to break down the causes further.

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Gender?

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Gender?

Although boys have more deaths than girls, the causes by the number of deaths follow nearly the same order. The major exception occurs in the top 2 spots, where boys have “External causes of morbidity and mortality” as the number one cause; this number is significantly more than the second cause (perinatal) compared to girls and is more than two times greater than the number of “morbidity and mortality” deaths for girls.

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Race?

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Race?

“External causes of morbidity and mortality” and “Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period” make up the first and second cause of death for each race.

Age

Child Loss Statistics: Age

As many bereaved parents know, child loss is different for everyone. While the deep pain and feeling of emptiness is the same, the children and their experiences with their parents are very different. A major factor in this difference lies in the child’s age. Explore the data below to learn what ages most children pass away during, what are the leading causes of death by age group and more.

Which Age Group Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Which Age Group Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Half of all child deaths occur before the age of one, while the next largest percentage of deaths occur between the ages of 16-20.

Percentage Child Deaths by Age Group Pie Chart

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Death by Age Group?

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Death by Age Group?

While the “<1 Year” Age Group has the largest number of deaths, with the leading cause being a rather general bucket (“Perinatal” meaning from the time pregnancy begins through one year after birth), the number one cause in all other age groups combined actually surpasses it. “External causes of Morbidity and Mortality” includes automobile accidents, assault and self-harm, among other causes. Not far behind this cause is “Neoplasms,” which is more commonly known as cancer.

Visit the Do-it-Yourself Causes of Death page to break down the causes further.

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children Less Than 1 Year Old?

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children Less Than 1 Year Old?

The number of children less than one year old who have passed away per the population (Death Rate) has decreased since 1999 – a positive sign to see this number going in the right direction.

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children of Older Age Groups?

How Has the Death Rate Changed for Children of Older Age Groups?

While the Death Rate has generally trended downward for every age group since 1999, the 16-20 year old group has recently seen an increase in recent years.

How Do the Number of Deaths Change by Age?

How Do the Number of Deaths Change by Age?

This chart demonstrates just how the numbers of deaths change during childhood. Although this data sums up deaths from 1999 through 2019, the relative size of the bars to one another is representative of any given year.

What is the Death Rate for each Gender by Age Group?

What is the Death Rate for each Gender by Age Group?

Boys have a higher Death Rate in every age group, being particularly higher in the less than one year and 16-20 years old age groups.

What is the Death Rate for Each Gender by Specific Age?

What is the Death Rate for Each Gender by Specific Age?

After the first year of life, the Death Rate decreases for both genders; however, the Death Rate for boys begins to increase around 14 and 15 years old.

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Age?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Age?

Boys make up a larger percentage of total deaths, consistently hovering around 57% until they become teenagers, at which time they begin to make up the larger majority of deaths.

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Age?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Age?

Every race maintains a consistent percent of total deaths with the exception of Black or African American at the less than one year age.

What is the Death Rate For Each Race by Age?

What is the Death Rate For Each Race by Age?

Black or African American have the highest death rates at every single age.

Age Summary Table

Age Summary Table

This table is offers additional details on deaths by age. This data represents all deaths and their respective age’s population from 1999 through 2019.

Gender

Child Loss Statistics: Gender

How does child loss impact the two different genders? Explore the data below to learn which gender has the highest death rate, which gender has a different death rate by age, what are the leading causes of death by gender and more.

Which Gender Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Which Gender Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Boys make up a larger proportion of child deaths compared to girls.

Percentage Child Deaths by Gender Pie Chart

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Year?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Year?

Boys consistently make up more than 60% of total deaths, as no significant changes occur since 1999.

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Age?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Gender Have by Age?

Boys make up a larger percentage of total deaths, consistently hovering around 57% until they become teenagers, at which time they begin to make up the larger majority of deaths.

What is the Death Rate for each Gender by Age Group?

What is the Death Rate for each Gender by Age Group?

Boys have a higher Death Rate in every age group, being particularly higher in the less than one year and 16-20 years old age groups.

What is the Death Rate for Each Gender by Specific Age?

What is the Death Rate for Each Gender by Specific Age?

After the first year of life, the Death Rate decreases for both genders; however, the Death Rate for boys begins to increase around 14 and 15 years old.

How Does the Death Rate by Gender Trend Over Time?

How Does the Death Rate by Gender Trend Over Time?

Boys and girls experience a decrease in Death Rate since 1999, but both genders see an increase in 2015 and 2016.

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Gender?

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Gender?

Although boys have more deaths than girls, the causes by the number of deaths follow nearly the same order. The major exception occurs in the top 2 spots, where boys have “External causes of morbidity and mortality” as the number one cause; this number is significantly more than the second cause (perinatal) compared to girls and is more than two times greater than the number of “morbidity and mortality” deaths for girls.

Gender Summary Table

Gender Summary Table

This table is offers additional details on deaths by gender and age. This data represents all deaths and their respective age’s population from 1999 through 2019.

Race

Child Loss Statistics: Race

Child loss and death rates by race vary widely. Explore the charts and graphs below to learn which race makes up the largest percent of deaths, what trends in death rate exist for each race, and what are the leading causes of death by race and more.

Please use this chart as a reference when comparing percent of total deaths.
The Races in these visualizations were the only ones available via the CDC (i.e., Hispanic, etc. was not available).

Which Race Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Which Race Makes Up the Largest Percent of Deaths?

Although Whites makes up the largest percentage of deaths, Black or African American deaths are disproportionate to the U.S. population, as this group makes up 27% of deaths but only 17% of the population (per table above).

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Age?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Age?

Every race maintains a consistent percent of total deaths with the exception of Black or African American at the less than one year age.

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Year?

What Percent of Deaths Do Each Race Have by Year?

The percent of total deaths by race remains relatively static until recent years, in which Black or African American begin to have a larger percentage.

What is the Death Rate For Each Race by Age?

What is the Death Rate For Each Race by Age?

Black or African American have the highest death rates at every single age.

What is the Death Rate Trend for Each Race?

What is the Death Rate Trend for Each Race?

Death Rate generally trends downward for each race during this time frame, however, each race experiences an uptick in recent years.

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Race?

What Are the Top Causes of Death by Race?

“External causes of morbidity and mortality” and “Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period” make up the first and second cause of death for each race.

Race Summary Table

Race Summary Table

This table is offers additional details on deaths by race and age. This data represents all deaths and their respective age’s population from 1999 through 2019.

Child Loss Statistics Race Summary

Do-It-Yourself Interactive Dashboard

Do-It-Yourself Interactive Dashboard

To learn how to use the Do-It-Yourself functions, watch our Do-It-Yourself video and then click on the DIY button below.

Data Background

Data Background

  • Data from CDC 1999 through 2019. Ages <1 Year through 20 Years Old. wonder.cdc.gov/deaths-by-underlying-cause.html
  • The “Death Rate” is calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the population, which in some cases is summed for all years of the data (i.e., it would appear as though the population is larger than the U.S. population in a given year).
  • The “% of Total Deaths” is calculated by dividing the deaths for that specific age by the deaths for all ages.