The mortality rate is defined as the probability of dying between age x and x+n. The calculation is: number of people who died between age x and x+n divided by number of people alive at age x.
I use the definition of the US Census bureau for young adults as people aged 18 to 34.
Why use France as the country of comparison? Because it tracked the US fairly closely between 1960 and 1995 before declining to reach the level of similar developed countries such as Spain while the US mortality rate stagnated and then started to increase in the late 2010s.
You might think the increase in the mortality rate in the United States since 2020 is due to Covid only but research shows that the causes are multifactorial with drug poisoning being the leading cause, a trend that had already started in the 2010s: [https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/rising-early-adult-mortality-us](https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/rising-early-adult-mortality-us)
Between 2010 and 2023 the US mortality rate for people aged 18-34 had increased by 30% and was 2.5 times higher than in France in 2023.
[EDIT] To those saying that France is actually the exception with decreasing mortality: mortality has historically declined across all age groups in industrialized countries except during wars and pandemics. A stagnating or even increasing mortality rate in one of the richest countries in the world is a major anomaly.
To the people saying the curve is actually decreasing: I guess I could have worded it as “at a higher rate than before”. Let’s hope that 2020 was actually a peak and not an anomaly. I interpreted the period from 2015 to 2023 as an upward trend with a Covid-related spike.
The broader point I wanted to make is that having a higher mortality rate than 25 years ago for any age group despite being a very wealthy country with substantial economic growth is really abnormal.
Why the steep drop in France in the mid-90s? Leaded petrol being phased out?
This actually shows young adults dying at a decreasing rate in France. Which is also interesting.
[deleted]
Now do male vs. female. Spoiler alert: you’re better off being female than French!
Yeah, that’s the Obama effect.
Turns out gutting working class healthcare and turbo charging an opioid crisis aren’t great policy for morality rates.
Overseeing the first rises in violent crime in decades didn’t help either.
I’m sorry I may be stupid but doesn’t this graph depict the rate of mortality decreasing from the peak a few years ago for the US? Or is OP referring to the rate increasing from 2010-2020? I feel like I’m reading this wrong, hopefully someone can clarify!
This happens when you are really not willing to control fentanyl flow into your country.
I think you’re in the wrong sub here…
Correction: Young adults are dying at a decreasing rate in France.
That’s not what the graph shows… looks like the rate is falling faster than it ever has.
It’s funny, because social media would have you believe that Paris and Marseille are wastelands filled with violent criminals and gangs.
Alternatively, “US outpaces the rest of the world in drop of young adult mortality over 5 year period!!” 😂
Phew I’m 37. So that means I’m safe 🍻
Cars. The number one killer of children and young adults in the US. Too much recklessness and disregard for the rules out there.
Remember, no matter what they tell you…it’s not “the thing.”
It’s never the thing…
I’d be interested in a worldwide aggregate averaged line as well. Or maybe similar “developed” countries. Even if it’s a logical benchmark, I intuitively dislike using only one other country as the context.
1. Drug Overdoses: Drug-related deaths, particularly from opioids like fentanyl, remain a significant contributor to excess mortality among young adults. The opioid crisis has had a devastating impact, and while overdose deaths may be starting to decline, they still account for a substantial portion of the increased death rate.
2. Suicide: Suicide is another leading cause of death for young adults, with mental health challenges and access to firearms playing a significant role.
3. Accidents and Injuries: Accidents, including transportation-related fatalities, are also major contributors. Factors like reckless driving, distractions from cell phones, and increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic have likely exacerbated this issue.
4. Cardio-metabolic Diseases: Conditions like heart disease and diabetes, previously associated with older age, are now contributing to early deaths among younger adults. Factors like obesity and poor nutrition are believed to be driving this trend.
5. Pandemic’s Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities and may have contributed to the rise in mortality rates through various channels, including direct infection, disruptions to healthcare, and increased social and economic hardship.
Yeah because there’s no fucking jobs. The only real things we can do is kill ourselves or get strung out and hope that does the job instead.
I’m too sad at this news to read all the comments, but I really feel that those of us who care about people who are at risk in our society need to organize so that we’re not depending on quote other groups unquote, or the government to share information about naloxone and equivalent anti opioid poisoning medications and that more than just a few of us carry them with us and that more than just a few of us recognize the signs and that more than just a few of us are safe harbors for people who use who can tell us they are using even if it’s not something we support so that they are safe because we know that they need to be checked on. God what a world
100k plus in drug ODs is a huge anomaly even in a large country.
lost my friend to opiates in 2021, after another girl we knew died just a few weeks before. it’s a heavy problem.
![[OC] Young adults are dying at an increasing rate in the United States](https://www.europesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/gk1ozpfcro9f1-1544x1024.png)
23 comments
of what? Gun violence, traffic accidents or illness ?
Source : [Human Mortality Database](https://www.mortality.org/) , 1×1 life tables
Tool : Observable Plot
Additional information:
The mortality rate is defined as the probability of dying between age x and x+n. The calculation is: number of people who died between age x and x+n divided by number of people alive at age x.
I use the definition of the US Census bureau for young adults as people aged 18 to 34.
Why use France as the country of comparison? Because it tracked the US fairly closely between 1960 and 1995 before declining to reach the level of similar developed countries such as Spain while the US mortality rate stagnated and then started to increase in the late 2010s.
You might think the increase in the mortality rate in the United States since 2020 is due to Covid only but research shows that the causes are multifactorial with drug poisoning being the leading cause, a trend that had already started in the 2010s: [https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/rising-early-adult-mortality-us](https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/rising-early-adult-mortality-us)
Between 2010 and 2023 the US mortality rate for people aged 18-34 had increased by 30% and was 2.5 times higher than in France in 2023.
[EDIT] To those saying that France is actually the exception with decreasing mortality: mortality has historically declined across all age groups in industrialized countries except during wars and pandemics. A stagnating or even increasing mortality rate in one of the richest countries in the world is a major anomaly.
To the people saying the curve is actually decreasing: I guess I could have worded it as “at a higher rate than before”. Let’s hope that 2020 was actually a peak and not an anomaly. I interpreted the period from 2015 to 2023 as an upward trend with a Covid-related spike.
The broader point I wanted to make is that having a higher mortality rate than 25 years ago for any age group despite being a very wealthy country with substantial economic growth is really abnormal.
Why the steep drop in France in the mid-90s? Leaded petrol being phased out?
This actually shows young adults dying at a decreasing rate in France. Which is also interesting.
[deleted]
Now do male vs. female. Spoiler alert: you’re better off being female than French!
Yeah, that’s the Obama effect.
Turns out gutting working class healthcare and turbo charging an opioid crisis aren’t great policy for morality rates.
Overseeing the first rises in violent crime in decades didn’t help either.
I’m sorry I may be stupid but doesn’t this graph depict the rate of mortality decreasing from the peak a few years ago for the US? Or is OP referring to the rate increasing from 2010-2020? I feel like I’m reading this wrong, hopefully someone can clarify!
This happens when you are really not willing to control fentanyl flow into your country.
I think you’re in the wrong sub here…
Correction: Young adults are dying at a decreasing rate in France.
That’s not what the graph shows… looks like the rate is falling faster than it ever has.
It’s funny, because social media would have you believe that Paris and Marseille are wastelands filled with violent criminals and gangs.
Alternatively, “US outpaces the rest of the world in drop of young adult mortality over 5 year period!!” 😂
Phew I’m 37. So that means I’m safe 🍻
Cars. The number one killer of children and young adults in the US. Too much recklessness and disregard for the rules out there.
Remember, no matter what they tell you…it’s not “the thing.”
It’s never the thing…
I’d be interested in a worldwide aggregate averaged line as well. Or maybe similar “developed” countries. Even if it’s a logical benchmark, I intuitively dislike using only one other country as the context.
1. Drug Overdoses: Drug-related deaths, particularly from opioids like fentanyl, remain a significant contributor to excess mortality among young adults. The opioid crisis has had a devastating impact, and while overdose deaths may be starting to decline, they still account for a substantial portion of the increased death rate.
2. Suicide: Suicide is another leading cause of death for young adults, with mental health challenges and access to firearms playing a significant role.
3. Accidents and Injuries: Accidents, including transportation-related fatalities, are also major contributors. Factors like reckless driving, distractions from cell phones, and increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic have likely exacerbated this issue.
4. Cardio-metabolic Diseases: Conditions like heart disease and diabetes, previously associated with older age, are now contributing to early deaths among younger adults. Factors like obesity and poor nutrition are believed to be driving this trend.
5. Pandemic’s Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities and may have contributed to the rise in mortality rates through various channels, including direct infection, disruptions to healthcare, and increased social and economic hardship.
Yeah because there’s no fucking jobs. The only real things we can do is kill ourselves or get strung out and hope that does the job instead.
I’m too sad at this news to read all the comments, but I really feel that those of us who care about people who are at risk in our society need to organize so that we’re not depending on quote other groups unquote, or the government to share information about naloxone and equivalent anti opioid poisoning medications and that more than just a few of us carry them with us and that more than just a few of us recognize the signs and that more than just a few of us are safe harbors for people who use who can tell us they are using even if it’s not something we support so that they are safe because we know that they need to be checked on. God what a world
100k plus in drug ODs is a huge anomaly even in a large country.
lost my friend to opiates in 2021, after another girl we knew died just a few weeks before. it’s a heavy problem.
Comments are closed.