Ages 15–29 years
1850.0M people globally · Stable trend
Young adulthood is when external causes overtake disease as the primary killer. Road injuries, suicide, violence, and drowning dominate this age group. In many countries, this is the most dangerous period between childhood and old age — not because of biology, but because of behaviour, environment, and mental health.
Deaths / year
2,200,000
Deaths / day
6,027
Deaths / hour
251
Deaths / second
0.07
Share of all global deaths
4%
2,200,000 of 62,000,000 total deaths
Death rate
1.2 per 1,000 people per year
Population: 1,850,000,000
Leading Causes of Death
1
Road injuries600.0K/yr
2
Suicide350.0K/yr
3
Violence & homicide250.0K/yr
4
Tuberculosis200.0K/yr
5
Drowning120.0K/yr
Key Facts
Road crashes are the #1 killer of 15-29 year olds worldwide
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in this age group
Males are 3x more likely to die than females at this age, primarily from injuries and violence
In the Americas, homicide is the leading cause of death for males aged 15-29
Mental health conditions affect 1 in 7 people aged 10-19 but treatment rates are below 20% in most countries
Global trend
Stable
Share of world population
22.6%