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Deaths and Death Rates
Los Angeles County

Leading Causes of Premature_Death

Also see: Life Expectancy by Race in Los Angeles County

The map below shows statistical regions (Service Planning Areas or SPAs) in Los Angeles County used by local health-tracking agencies. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of premature death in all SPAs except SPA 6 (homicide ranks ahead of coronary heart disease). The map is color-coded for the second leading cause of premature death in each SPA (except SPA 6 where, because it is significantly the only SPA where coronary heart disease does not rank first, we retained first-place homicide for this SPA in this map). The second leading cause of premature death in SPA 1 is due to motor vehicle crashes. For SPA 2, it is suicide. For SPAs 3 and 7, it is cancer. For SPAs 4 and 5, it is drug overdose. SPA 8, like SPA 6, suffers from a higher rate of homicides, making homicide its second leading cause of premature death.

Map of LA County Leading Causes of Death


Note: as of May 2020, statistics below are the latest available from the California Dept. of Public Health.

Recent Causes of Death & Death Rates
Los Angeles County, 2015-2017
Cause of Death Deaths (Average) Crude Death Rate* Age-Adjusted Death Rate*
All Causes 62,894.0 615.7 574.1
All Cancers 14,529.3 142.2 132.8
Coronary Heart Disease 11,303.7 110.7 101.7
Alzheimer's Disease 3,994.3 39.1 35.6
Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke) 3,709.7 36.3 34.0
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 3,057.3 29.9 28.2
Lung Cancer 2,694.3 26.4 24.8
Accidents (Unintentional Injuries) 2,524.7 24.7 23.7
Diabetes 2,509.0 24.6 22.9
Influenza/Pneumonia 2,054.7 20.1 18.7
Cause of Death Deaths (Average) Crude Death Rate* Age-Adjusted Death Rate*
Chronic Liver Disease & Cirrhosis 1,473.0 14.4 13.2
Colorectal Cancer 1,434.7 14.0 13.1
Female Breast Cancer 1,122.7 21.7 18.5
Drug-Induced Deaths 902.0 8.8 8.5
Suicide 852.0 8.3 8.0
Prostate Cancer 848.7 16.8 19.2
Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes 836.7 8.2 7.9
Firearm-Related Deaths 774.3 7.6 7.4
Homicide 626.3 6.1 6.1

* Death rates are per 100,000 population (estimated population for that year per the California Dept. of Finance). Crude death rate is the total number of deaths due to any cause occurring among the population during the specified period, per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted death rate is the result of a statistical process that adjusts for differences in death rates by cause of death among different age groups, per 100,000 population.

Average Number of Deaths & Death Rates
Averaged Over 3-Year Periods
Los Angeles County, 1995-2017

3-Year Period Deaths (Average) Crude Death Rate** Age-Adjusted Death Rate**
2015-2017 62,894.0 615.7 574.1
2014-2016 61,076.0 599.6 572.6
2013-2015 60,023.3 595.3 581.3
2012-2014 59,022.0 589.6 585.1
2011-2013 58,808.7 593.3 609.8
2010-2012 57,735.3 585.5 611.4
2009-2011 57,414.3 584.2 629.1
2008-2010 57,400.3 549.3 587.5
2007-2009 57,997.7 558.5 605.6
2006-2008 58,622.7 567.9 624.4
3-Year Period Deaths (Average) Crude Death Rate** Age-Adjusted Death Rate**
2005-2007 59,340.0 578.2 644.4
2004-2006 59,614.3 583.5 659.0
2003-2005 60,137.0 592.3 679.3
2002-2004 59,939.0 596.6 640.9
2001-2003 60,144.0 608.2 675.8
2000-2002 59,464.0 599.1 739.5
1999-2001 59,473.3 604.5 755.8
1998-2000 59,189.7 608.5 769.1
1997-1999 59,535.7 617.6 790.9
1996-1998 59,559.7 625.3 428.6
1995-1997 60,236.3 641.1 445.9

** Death rates are per 100,000 population (estimated population for the middle year of each 3-year period per the California Dept. of Finance).

Source: California Dept. of Public Health

Annual Number of Deaths & Death Rates
Los Angeles County & California, 1970-2013

As of April 2019, year-specific data has not yet been made available since 2013.

Year Los Angeles County California (Statewide)
Number of Deaths Death Rate* Number of Deaths Death Rate*
2013 59,764 596.2 248,118 648.9
2012 58,592 588.5 242,461 640.1
2011 58,070 588.1 239,006 636.7
2010 56,544 575.7 233,143 626.3
2009 57,629 588.0 231,764 627.0
2008 58,028 593.0 234,072 637.7
2007 58,336 596.4 233,467 641.4
2006 59,504 607.3 236,452 654.7
2005 60,180 613.1 236,220 658.6
2004 59,159 603.2 232,464 653.5
2003 61,072 625.9 239,325 680.6
2002 59,586 615.6 233,246 671.7
2001 59,774 623.3 232,790 679.5
2000 59,032 622.9 228,281 677.0
Year Los Angeles County California (Statewide)
Number of Deaths Death Rate* Number of Deaths Death Rate*
1999 59,614 638.9 227,965 687.9
1998 58,923 638.7 225,450 690.3
1997 60,070 656.7 223,438 693.7
1996 59,686 655.6 222,308 698.3
1995 60,953 669.5 222,626 704.1
1994 62,442 686.5 222,854 709.3
1993 62,250 686.2 220,271 707.1
1992 61,708 685.0 214,586 698.5
1991 61,585 691.3 214,220 710.7
1990 62,700 709.9 213,766 723.2
1989 64,940 745.9 215,930 750.5
1988 64,851 755.4 215,185 766.8
1987 64,237 760.0 209,395 764.6
1986 59,919 723.1 202,826 758.5
Year Los Angeles County California (Statewide)
Number of Deaths Death Rate* Number of Deaths Death Rate*
1985 62,250 766.5 201,815 772.9
1984 60,202 753.9 195,470 763.9
1983 58,427 744.6 188,018 749.8
1982 58,368 759.0 188,255 766.9
1981 58,101 769.1 184,732 768.5
1980 59,551 800.2 186,428 783.9
1979 56,631 768.8 177,214 762.0
1978 57,705 790.3 175,878 770.1
1977 56,388 777.7 170,441 762.5
1976 58,971 816.9 171,095 780.0
1975 59,622 833.5 170,797 793.0
1974 60,325 849.5 170,475 805.1
1973 61,693 871.3 172,798 828.0
1972 61,457 867.4 170,026 826.0
1971 62,931 889.0 169,349 832.3
1970 62,192 883.2 166,382 830.3

* Death rates are per 100,000 population (estimated population for that year per the California Dept. of Finance).

Source: California Dept. of Public Health