Mortality in New Jersey
- New Jersey Population: 8,882,190 (11th highest)
- Population Density: 1,207.83 per square mile (1st most dense)
- Median Age: 40.2 (10th oldest)
- Deaths Per Year: 75,765
- Annual Deaths Per 100,000: 850.5
- Life Expectancy at Birth: 79.8
- Fertility Rate (births per 1,000 women age 15-44): 59.5 (23rd highest rate)
Leading Causes of Death in New Jersey
| Cause of Death | Deaths Per Year | Deaths Per 100,000 | National Rank |
| Heart Disease
|
18,716 | 158 | 27th |
| Cancer
|
15,698 | 136.5 | 42nd |
| Accidents (includes vehicle accidents)
|
4,650 | 49.2 | 32nd |
| Stroke
|
3,550 | 30.3 | 42nd |
| Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (e.g., emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma)
|
3,053 | 26.3 | 49th |
| Alzheimer’s Disease
|
2,629 | 21.7 | 41st |
| Septicemia
|
1,983 | 17.2 | 2nd |
| Diabetes
|
1,934 | 16.7 | 44th |
| Kidney Disease (nephritis, nephrosis, nephrotic syndrome)
|
1,622 | 13.9 | 21st |
| Pneumonia + Flu
|
1,270 | 10.9 | 37th |
| Liver Disease / Cirrhosis
|
853 | 7.8 | 47th |
| Suicide
|
762 | 8 | 50th |
| Drug Overdose
|
2,805 | 31.7 | 10th |
| Homicide
|
287 | 3.4 | 34th |
Population Statistics
New Jersey has the nation’s 11th largest population and is the most densely populated state. New Jersey is the nation’s worst rated state for air and water quality.
Though New Jersey’s fertility rate is above the overall rate nationally, New Jersey’s population grew by only 1.0% from 2010 through 2019— the nation’s 9th lowest rate.
With a median age of 40.2 years, New Jersey is tied with Montana for 10th oldest state.
New Jersey’s overall mortality rate is only a little below the national rate. However, when adjusted for population age, New Jersey’s mortality rate is 9th lowest, and New Jersey’s average life expectancy of 79.8 years ties Rhode Island for 9th New Jersey also has the nation’s 7th lowest infant mortality rate, with 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Health Conditions
Of the leading health-related causes of death nationally, New Jersey’s mortality rate only exceeds the overall national rate for kidney disease and septicemia (blood poisoning illnesses). New Jersey’s septicemia mortality rate is the nation’s 2nd highest (behind only Louisiana).
For these reasons and more, we here at IBUSA will typically try to help applicants from New Jersey first qualify for a no medical exam term life insurance when possible, and for those that won’t be able to qualify for such a policy, fully underwritten life insurance policies and guaranteed issue life insurance policies may still be an option.
Lifestyle Choices
At 13.1%, the smoking rate among New Jersey adults is the nation’s 7th lowest, and New Jersey has the nation’s 2nd lowest rate of deaths due to chronic respiratory illnesses. New Jersey also has the nation’s 4th and 7th lowest rates of deaths due to liver disease and diabetes, respectively.
Drug Overdose, Suicide, Firearms
New Jersey has the nation’s lowest suicide rate, and the state’s 4.1 firearm-related deaths per 100,000 is 3rd lowest (behind Massachusetts and New York). With 31.7 drug overdose deaths per 100,000, New Jersey’s rate is the nation’s 10th highest, and New Jersey ranks 6th highest in deaths due to accidental poisoning.
Covid
Through August, 2021, New Jersey has the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the country—at 301 deaths per 100,000. In 2020, COVID was—along with heart disease and cancer—among the top 3 causes of death in New Jersey.
Motor Vehicles
In 2019, only New York and Massachusetts had lower rates of motor vehicle fatalities than New Jersey’s 6.7 per 100,000. With just 1.8 occupational fatalities per 100,000, New Jersey tied Rhode Island for 3rd safest state for workers (behind Connecticut and New Hampshire).
Sources:
U.S. Dept of Ag., Economic Research Service, https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=17827 (citing U.S. Census Bureau, 2019).
Statista, Population Density in the U.S. by Federal States Including District of Columbia in 2020 (2020).
StatsAmerica (Ind. Bus. Research Center), Median Age in 2019.
CDC, Natl. Center for Health Statistics, State & Territorial Data (2018 – 2019).
Kaiser Family Foundation, Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population (2019).
CDC, Natl. Center for Health Statistics, Life Expectancy at Birth by State (2018).
CDC, Natl. Center for Health Statistics, Fertility Rates by State (2019).
CDC, Natl. Center for Health Statistics, Stats of the States (2021).
United Health Foundation, America’s Health Rankings, 2020 Annual Report: New Jersey.
CDC, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System, Map of Current Cigarette Use Among Adults (2018).
Natl. Safety Council, State Overview Table: 2019 (preventable-injury-related death rates per 100,000 population by state of residence, United States, 2019).
CDC, Natl. Center for Health Statistics, Provisional Death Rates for COVID-19 (2020).
New York Times, Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count (Aug. 16, 2021).
Natl. Safety Council, Motor-Vehicle Deaths by State (2019).
Natl. Safety Council, Work Deaths by State (2019).
