Utah Mortality Rates
2025 Comprehensive Health Report
Population
Life Expectancy
Health Ranking
Annual Deaths
Leading Causes of Death
Updated data from 2022-2024 showing Utah’s mortality statistics and national rankings:
| Cause of Death | Deaths/Year | Per 100,000 | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Disease | 4,500+ | 132 | Low (Good) |
| Cancer | 3,600+ | 104 | Lowest in US |
| Accidents | 2,400+ | 70 | Low-Mid Range |
| Alzheimer’s Disease | 1,200+ | 35 | 9th highest |
| Stroke | 1,200+ | 35 | 30th |
| Respiratory Diseases | 1,060+ | 31 | 43rd (Low) |
| Diabetes | 860+ | 25 | 11th highest |
| Suicide | 780+ | 23 | 6th highest |
| Drug Overdose | 650+ | 19 | Increasing |
| Homicide | 90+ | 2.6 | 7th lowest |
Health Status Overview
🏆 Exceptional Health Status
Utah ranks 6th in overall health among U.S. states according to America’s Health Rankings 2024, maintaining its position as one of the healthiest states in the nation. With a population of approximately 3.42 million (30th largest), Utah continues to demonstrate exceptional health outcomes.
Utah maintains the 9th highest life expectancy nationally at 78.6 years, significantly above the national average. The state continues to have one of the youngest populations with the fastest growth rates, contributing to its favorable health statistics.
Emerging Health Challenges
💊 Growing Drug Overdose Crisis
Despite national declines in drug overdose deaths, Utah is one of only five states that saw increases in overdose deaths in 2024. Currently, ten Utahns die each week from drug overdose, representing approximately 520 deaths annually.
Fentanyl has become a major concern, responsible for 33% of unintentional and undetermined drug poisoning deaths in the state. Utah’s drug overdose death rate, while still lower than many states at 19 per 100,000, has remained stubbornly high despite extensive prevention efforts.
Governor Cox announced a Fentanyl Task Force in October 2024 to address this growing crisis, working alongside the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ ongoing prevention initiatives.
🧠 Persistent Suicide Challenge
Utah continues to struggle with one of the nation’s highest suicide rates, ranking 6th nationally. The Utah suicide rate has been consistently higher than the national rate for years, with males aged 35-44 showing the highest rates (49.3 per 100,000) and females aged 45-54 most at risk (15.3 per 100,000).
Several rural areas, including TriCounty, Central Utah, Southwest, and San Juan local health districts, show significantly higher age-adjusted suicide rates compared to the state average.
Unique Health Demographics
👶 Youngest and Fastest Growing
Utah maintains several unique demographic characteristics that contribute to its health profile:
- Youngest median age in the nation (continuing the trend)
- 4th highest fertility rate nationally (66.7 per 1,000 women age 15-44)
- Fastest population growth – 16% between 2010-2019
- Lowest overall death rate when unadjusted for age (580.6 per 100,000)
Health Strengths
🌟 Exceptional Health Indicators
Utah continues to excel in numerous health categories:
- Lowest cancer death rate nationally (104 per 100,000)
- Lowest smoking rate nationally (9% of adults)
- Lowest excessive drinking rate in the US
- 7th lowest homicide rate (2.6 per 100,000)
- 6th safest state for driving (7.7 vehicle fatalities per 100,000)
- 8th lowest chronic respiratory disease deaths
- Lowest healthcare spending per capita while maintaining excellent outcomes
⚠️ Areas of Concern
Despite overall excellent health, Utah faces specific challenges:
- High Alzheimer’s deaths: 9th highest nationally
- Highest Parkinson’s disease death rate in the US
- 11th highest diabetes death rate
- High non-medical prescription drug use among top 10 states
Life Insurance Considerations
💡 Favorable Insurance Environment
Utah residents generally enjoy favorable conditions for life insurance due to the state’s exceptional health profile. Most Utah residents will likely be able to qualify for no medical exam term life insurance policies given the relative health of the state’s population.
For those who don’t qualify for no-exam policies, fully underwritten life insurance policies and even guaranteed issue life insurance policies remain viable options.
⚠️ Specific Risk Considerations
While Utah’s overall health is excellent, certain factors merit attention:
- Suicide Risk: Given Utah’s high suicide rate, insurers may have specific underwriting considerations
- Drug Use History: High non-medical prescription drug use may affect underwriting for some applicants
- Outdoor Activities: Utah’s active lifestyle may require consideration of accidental death coverage
Health System Performance
💰 Efficient Healthcare System
Utah demonstrates remarkable healthcare efficiency, spending only $8,789 per resident annually – the lowest healthcare spending per capita nationally – while achieving the 6th best health outcomes. This represents exceptional value in healthcare delivery.
The state has successfully reduced its uninsured rate by 5.0 percentage points since ACA implementation in 2013, improving healthcare access across the population.
🏥 COVID-19 Performance
Utah demonstrated strong performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining the 9th lowest death rate nationally in 2020 (49.7 per 100,000) and the 6th lowest through 2021 (78 per 100,000). COVID-19 has since dropped from the leading causes of death by 2024.
Data Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 2024-2025
America’s Health Rankings, United Health Foundation, 2024 Annual Report
Utah Department of Health and Human Services, IBIS-PH System, 2024-2025
Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, Fatal Drug Overdose Report, 2025
USAFacts, Leading Causes of Death Analysis, 2024
March of Dimes, 2024 Report Card for Utah
Utah Violence and Injury Prevention Program, 2024-2025
Kaiser Family Foundation, Mental Health and Substance Use Data, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, 2024-2025
