How Mortality Shifts Across the Lifespan
Explore how the causes of death change dramatically from youth to old age. The risk profile of a 20-year-old looks nothing like that of a 70-year-old — this page shows you why.
Age-specific estimates are derived from country-level rates adjusted using well-established age-pattern curves from epidemiological literature. These are population-level approximations, not exact age-disaggregated data.
| Age Group | #1 Cause | Est. Rate | Share | #2 Cause | Dominant Category |
|---|
Simplified survival curves derived from age-group death rates. Actual actuarial tables use more granular data. See Insurance & Actuarial page for detailed analysis.
See the full rectangularisation analysis on the Insurance page.
See the full cause-elimination analysis on the Insurance page.
Mortality compression describes the phenomenon where the distribution of ages at death becomes increasingly concentrated around the modal (most common) age of death. As life expectancy rises, deaths shift from being spread across all ages to clustering tightly around ages 80-90 in developed nations.
This is distinct from rectangularisation (which describes the survival curve shape) — compression focuses on the variability of age at death decreasing over time.
See the full mortality compression animation on the Insurance page for interactive visualisation.
Age-Specific Mortality Patterns
How causes of death change across the lifespan
Mortality risk is not uniform across the lifespan. A newborn faces entirely different health threats than a teenager, a middle-aged adult, or an elderly person. The Age tool breaks down death rates by age group for any of 204 countries, revealing which causes dominate at each stage of life.
This tool is invaluable for understanding where preventive interventions should be targeted. For example, road safety programmes are critical for reducing mortality among young adults, while screening and chronic disease management become more relevant in middle and older age. Explore the data to see how your country's age-specific mortality profile compares to global averages.
What are the leading causes of death by age group?
Causes of death vary dramatically by age. Neonatal conditions dominate in the first month of life, while injuries (especially road traffic) are the leading killer of young adults. Cardiovascular disease and cancer become dominant after age 50. The Age tool lets you see this breakdown for any country.
What kills young people aged 15-29 the most?
Globally, road injuries, self-harm, and interpersonal violence are the leading causes of death among 15-29 year olds. In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS remains a major killer in this age group. These patterns differ significantly between countries and by sex.
How does cause of death change as you get older?
As people age, the mortality profile shifts from external causes (injuries, violence) to chronic non-communicable diseases. By age 70+, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and neurological conditions (including dementia) account for the vast majority of deaths in most countries.