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Long-term U.S. mortality data indicate an overall decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. A new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data published in Medicine studied adults aged 25 years and older and found the age-adjusted mortality rate fell from 35.93 per 100,000 residents in 1999 to 16.46 per 100,000 residents in 2023, an average annual decline of 3.18%. Total deaths also decreased from 63,006 to 44,625 in the time frame. The downward trend was seen across all racial/ethnic groups and U.S. census regions. One notable exception to the trend was adults aged 55–64 years, the only age group with a statistically significant increase in crude mortality over the study period. Adults aged 85 years and older continued to have by far the highest mortality rate associated with flu and pneumonia.
Look at that: It’s worth looking at the graphic that clearly depicts the consistently downward trend of mortality rates. The total number of deaths decreased by 39.02% in females and 16.32% in males over the study period. According to the authors: “The broad downward trajectory of combined influenza and pneumonia mortality across the United States aligns with nationwide advancements in respiratory disease prevention frameworks and sustained investment in public health infrastructure over recent decades.”
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