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More deaths in the world is that true
Executive summary
Global totals of deaths are shaped by long-term demographic trends (population growth and aging) and episodic crises (pandemics, heatwaves); reporting shows life expectancy and overall death rates have been returning toward pre‑pandemic patterns in 2023–2025 for places like the U.S., even as some causes (chronic kidney disease, adolescent deaths in places) are rising in importance [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single, definitive global “more deaths now than before” answer without specifying time period or cause; different datasets and measures (crude counts, age‑adjusted rates, excess mortality) tell different stories [4] [5].
1. Why “more deaths” can mean different things — counts vs. rates
When people say “more deaths” they may mean total deaths (raw counts), crude death rates (deaths per 1,000 people), or age‑adjusted death rates (which control for an older population). The raw number of deaths can rise simply because the world population is larger and older, even while age‑adjusted death rates fall; Our World in Data and other analysts stress this distinction when comparing long‑run trends [5]. National reports such as CDC briefs show age‑adjusted death rates in the U.S. fell noticeably in 2023 even as populations and counts shift [1].
2. Recent U.S. picture: improvements after pandemic peaks
U.S. national statistics released by the CDC show life expectancy increased to 78.4 years in 2023 — up 0.9 year from 2022 — and the age‑adjusted death rate for the total population decreased about 6.0% in 2023 compared with 2022 [1]. The CDC also reports COVID‑19 fell from the 4th leading cause in 2022 to the 10th in 2023, signaling fewer pandemic deaths in the U.S. in that period [1]. These numbers illustrate that, at least in the U.S., “more deaths” was not the pattern in 2023 when looking at adjusted rates and leading causes [1].
3. Global patterns: mixed signals and regional variation
Global reporting is more complex. WHO cautions that international COVID‑19 counts vary by testing, definitions and reporting practices, producing under‑ or over‑estimates and delays; since March 2020 WHO shifted to region‑specific dashboards and now emphasizes weekly reporting, which affects comparability [4]. Our World in Data highlights that many aggregate global measures (e.g., mortality from road injuries or long‑term emissions‑linked forecasts) vary widely across countries and over time [5]. CNN’s review of global research found life expectancy globally has broadly recovered to pre‑pandemic levels but singled out rising death rates among adolescents and young adults in some regions, showing the pattern is not uniform worldwide [3].
4. New or resurging causes: chronic kidney disease and youth mortality
Some causes are increasing in significance. Global Burden of Disease data, reported by outlets like Fox News, showed chronic kidney disease rose sharply to become a top‑10 cause and caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2023, up from earlier years — a reminder that even as overall mortality falls in some metrics, specific conditions can drive more deaths [2]. CNN reports also highlight rising deaths among adolescents and young adults in certain regions driven by infectious diseases and injuries, indicating cause‑specific increases despite improving overall life expectancy [3].
5. Measuring “true” impact: excess mortality and undercounting
Confirmed death counts for events such as COVID‑19 frequently understate total mortality impact; studies and datasets have used excess mortality (deaths above expected baselines) to capture hidden tolls. Wikipedia’s compilation and academic work note large discrepancies between confirmed COVID deaths and excess‑mortality‑based estimates in some countries (example: Russia) where excess mortality suggested totals far higher than official counts [6]. WHO warns that differences in national reporting methods and delays complicate international comparisons [4].
6. What the available sources do not say
Available sources do not provide a single global headline like “there are more deaths now than ever” without clarifying timeframe, geography, and metric; none of the provided articles deliver a unified global count comparison across the same standardized measure for 2025 versus another year. For any definitive global claim you should ask whether the comparison is raw counts, age‑standardized rates, or excess mortality, and which country set or period you mean (not found in current reporting).
7. How to interpret and follow up
To evaluate “more deaths” reliably: specify the metric and timeframe; look for age‑adjusted rates or excess‑mortality analyses for fair comparisons; and consult country‑level vital statistics (CDC for the U.S., WHO dashboards, Our World in Data and GBD studies for international context) because trends vary by place and cause [1] [4] [5] [2].