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Injury and Violence

Overview & Impact

Life Stages & Determinants

Latest Data

Explore the latest data for the LHI topic Injury and Violence.
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Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

Between 1999 and 2009, the death rate from all injuries (regardless of intent) increased by 6%. The homicide rate did not significantly change between 1999 and 2008. However, the homicide rate decreased by 7% between 2008 and 2009. Preventing intentional and unintentional injuries is vital to improving the health of all Americans.

Leading Health Indicators

Explore the latest data and disparities for each indicator.
Reduce fatal injuries (IVP-1.1)
Reduce homicides (IVP-29)

Reduce fatal injuries (IVP-1.1)

From 1999 to 2007, the death rate from all injuries increased by 11%, from 53.3 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) to a rate of 59.2. Since the HP2020 baseline year of 2007, the rate has decreased by 5% to 56.3 in 2009; therefore, moving toward the HP2020 target of 53.3.

From 1999 to 2009, the death rate from all injuries increased by 11%, from 53.3 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) to a rate of 59.2. Since the HP2020 baseline year of 2007, the rate has decreased by 5% to 56.3 in 2009; therefore, moving toward the HP2020 target of 53.3.

SOURCE: National Vital Statistics System (NVSS-M), CDC, NCHS.

Healthy People 2020 objective IVP-1.1 tracks all fatal injuries regardless of intent (unintentional, intentional, and undetermined).

HP2020 Baseline: In 2007, 59.2 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) were caused by injuries.
HP2020 Target: 53.3 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted), a 10 percent improvement over the baseline.

Over the past decade, the injury death rate increased by 6%. In 1999, the injury death rate was 53.3 (age adjusted), compared to a rate of 56.3 in 2009.
Females had a lower injury death rate than males (33.1 versus 81.1 deaths per 100,000 population, age adjusted, in 2009). The rate for males was about two and a half times the rate for females.

Injury Death Rate by Sex, 2009

The rate for men was about 2 1/2 times the rate for women.

SOURCE: National Vital Statistics System (NVSS-M), CDC, NCHS.

Among racial and ethnic groups, the Asian or Pacific Islander population had the lowest injury death rate, 24.2 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) in 2009. The rates of injury death for the American Indian or Alaska Native, white non-Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic populations were 76.1, 59.6, 58.9, and 39.3 per 100,000 population (age adjusted), respectively. The rate for the American Indian or Alaska Native population was more than three times as high as the best group rate; the rate for the white non-Hispanic population was about two and a half times the best group rate; the rate for the black non-Hispanic population was almost two and a half times the best group rate; and the rate for the Hispanic or Latino population more than one a half times that for the best group.
Persons living in metropolitan areas had a lower injury death rate than persons living in nonmetropolitan areas (52.9 versus 73.9 deaths per 100,000 population, age adjusted, in 2009). The rate for persons living in nonmetropolitan areas was almost one and a half times the rate for persons living in metropolitan areas.
Married persons had the lowest injury death rate among marital status groups aged 25 years and over, 44.5 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) in 2009. The rates for never-married, widowed, and divorced persons were 115.0, 123.4, and 133.1 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted), respectively, in 2009. The injury death rate for never-married was more than two and a half times the best group rate; the injury death rate for widowed persons was nearly three times the best group rate; and the injury death rate for divorced persons was about three times that for the best group.
Persons born outside of the US had a lower injury death rate than persons born in the US (34.7 versus 58.4 deaths per 100,000 population, age adjusted, in 2009). The rate for persons born in the US was more than one a half times the rate for persons born outside of the US.
Persons aged less than 18 years had the lowest injury death rate, 12.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009, among broad age groups. Rates for the other age groups were:

60.5 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 18–44 years; nearly five times the best group rate.
66.3 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 45–64 years; more than five times the best group rate.
116.9 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 65 years and over (highest rate); more than nine times the best group rate.

When further refining the age groups, persons aged 5–11 years had the lowest injury death rate, 4.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009. Rates for the other age groups were:

16.5 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 0–4 years; more than 3 and a half times the best group rate.
18.8 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 12–17 years; more than four times the best group rate.
61.1 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 18–24 years; almost thirteen and a half times the best group rate.
60.3 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 25–44 years; more than thirteen times the best group rate.
72.1 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 45–54 years; nearly sixteen times the best group rate.
58.9 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 55–64 years; nearly thirteen times the best group rate.
60.4 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 65–74 years; more than thirteen times the best group rate.
121.2 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 75–84 years; more than twenty six and a half times the best group rate.
315.9 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 85 years and over (highest rate); almost sixty nine and a half times the best group rate.

Endnotes:

Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons described are statistically significant at the 0.05 level of significance.
Data for this measure are available annually and come from the National Vital Statistics System-Mortality (NVSS-M), CDC, NCHS.
The terms "Hispanic or Latino" and "Hispanic" are used interchangeably in this report.
Data (except those by marital status, country of birth, and age group) are age adjusted to the 2000 standard population using the age groups < 1, 1-4, 5-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85 years and over. Data by marital status are adjusted using the age groups 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and over. Data by country of birth are adjusted using the age groups < 5, 5-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and over. Data by age group are not age adjusted. Age-adjusted rates are weighted sums of age-specific rates.

Reduce homicides (IVP-29)

Healthy People 2020 objective IVP-29 tracks homicides.

HP2020 Baseline: In 2007, there were 6.1 homicides per 100,000 population (age adjusted).
HP2020 Target: 5.5 homicides (age adjusted) per 100,000 population, a 10 percent improvement over the baseline.
The homicide rate did not change significantly between 1999 (6.0 deaths per 100,000 population, age adjusted) and 2008 (5.9). However, the rate declined 7% between 2008 and 2009, to 5.5 per 100,000 population (age adjusted).

Among racial and ethnic groups, the Asian or Pacific Islander population had the lowest rate of deaths from homicide, 2.2 per 100,000 population (age adjusted) in 2009. The rates for the black non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino, and white non-Hispanic populations were 18.8, 7.1, 6.2, and 2.6 per 100,000 (age adjusted) in 2009, respectively. The rate for the black non-Hispanic population was about eight and a half times the best group rate; the rate for the American Indian or Alaska Native population was more than three times the best group rate; and the rate for the Hispanic or Latino population was nearly three times the best group rate.
Males had homicide rates of 8.6 per 100,000 population (age adjusted) in 2009, compared to a rate of 2.4 for females. The homicide rate for males was more than three and a half times the rate for females.
Married persons had the lowest homicide rate among marital status groups aged 25 years and over, 2.6 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted) in 2009. The rates for never married, widowed, and divorced persons were 11.2, 9.9, and 8.2 deaths per 100,000 population (age adjusted), respectively, in 2009. The homicide rate for never married persons was almost four and a half times the best group rate; the homicide rate for widowed persons was almost four times the best group rate; and the homicide rate for divorced persons was more than three times that for the best group.
Persons aged 65 years and over had the lowest homicide rate, 2.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009, among broad age groups. Rates for the other age groups were:

2.4 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged less than 18 years.
9.7 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 18–44 years; about four and a half times the best group rate.
3.9 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 45–64 years; nearly twice the best group rate.

When further refining the age groups, persons aged 5–11 years had the lowest homicide death rate, 0.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009. Rates for the other age groups were:

3.3 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 0–4 years; about five and a half times the best group rate.
3.7 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 12–17 years; almost six and a half times the best group rate.
13.4 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 18–24 years (highest rate); nearly twenty three times the best group rate.
8.4 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 25–44 years; more than fourteen times the best group rate.
4.6 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 45–54 years; nearly eight times the best group rate.
2.9 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 55–64 years; nearly five times the best group rate.
2.3 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 65–74 years; nearly four times the best group rate.
2.0 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 75–84 years; almost three and a half times the best group rate.
2.2 deaths per 100,000 population among persons aged 85 years and over; nearly four times the best group rate.

Endnotes:

Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons described are statistically significant at the 0.05 level of significance.
Data for this measure are available annually and come from the National Vital Statistics System-Mortality (NVSS-M), CDC, NCHS.
The terms "Hispanic or Latino" and "Hispanic" are used interchangeably in this report.
Data (except those by marital status, country of birth, and age group) are age adjusted to the 2000 standard population using the age groups < 1, 1-4, 5-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85 years and over. Data by marital status are adjusted using the age groups 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and over. Data by country of birth are adjusted using the age groups < 5, 5-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and over. Data by age group are not age adjusted. Age-adjusted rates are weighted sums of age-specific rates.