05/13/2026
Highlights of 2024
CHILD DEATH DATA FACTS AND TRENDS
1,386 CHILDREN
Since the Child Fatality Task Force was initiated in 1991, child death rates among
children ages 0 to 17 have decreased by 45%, from a rate of 107.6 deaths per 100,000
children in 1991 to a rate of 58.7 in 2024. While North Carolina experienced relatively
steady declines in child mortality rates from 1991 through 2010, statewide child mortality
rates have stagnated with no significant reductions since 2010.
56%
WERE
INFANTS
In 2024, 56% (770) of child deaths were of infants (babies under one year of age). The
next largest age category for child deaths was for older teens, ages 15 to 17 (238 deaths).
27.5
MORTALITY
RATE
While the infant death rate decreased to a historic low in 2024, the rate of deaths
for North Carolina children ages one to 17 has not decreased. North Carolina’s 2024
mortality rate of 27.5 among children ages one to 17 remains virtually unchanged from
the rate two decades ago (26.8 in 2005). From 2008 through 2020, rates were lower and
fluctuated, ranging from 20.6 to 23.9.
Infant Deaths
• Historic low: From 2023 – 2024, the statewide infant death rate decreased by 8.7%, moving from
6.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023 to 6.3 in 2024. Over the last 10 years, from 2015 to 2024, the
state infant mortality rate declined 14 percent from a rate of 7.3 to 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The
2024 infant mortality rate represents a historic low in North Carolina.
• National comparison: Based on US infant mortality data, North Carolina had the 18th highest
infant mortality rate in the U.S. in 2024 which represents an improvement from 2023 when the
state had the 10th highest infant death rate in the country.
• Race/ethnicity: In 2024, the infant mortality rate for Hispanics decreased 27% compared to 2023.
The Black/white disparity in infant mortality remains virtually unchanged with a ratio of 2.98 in 2024
compared with the 2023 ratio of 3.02. During the 5-year period 2020 to 2024, North Carolina’s non-
Hispanic (NH) Black infants experienced death rates 2.74 times higher than NH white infants.
• Decline in neonatal deaths: The decline in the overall infant mortality rate occurred only among
neonatal deaths (deaths occurring within the first month of life). The neonatal mortality rate
declined 15% from a rate of 4.7 in 2023 to 4.0 in 2024.
• Leading causes of death: For infants, birth defects were the leading cause, followed by
prematurity/low birthweight and then maternal complications of pregnancy.
• SUID deaths: The number of deaths related to Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUIDs) cause
categories increased in 2024, rising from 137 deaths attributed to SUIDs in 2023 to 156 SUIDs-related
deaths in 2024. [The NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) conducts thorough reviews of
Sudden and Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) cases; although OCME data is not yet available for 2024,
OCME analysis reveals that a majority of SUID cases are associated with unsafe sleep environments.]
• Rural rates are highest: Infant mortality rates decreased in urban, suburban, and rural areas of
North Carolina, however rural areas continue to have the highest rates.
54
Child Deaths
• Rates unchanged but national ranking worsens: Excluding infants, North Carolina’s child death
rate of children ages 1 to 17 remained virtually unchanged at a rate of 27.3 in 2023 and 27.5 in
2024. This puts North Carolina at the 12th highest mortality rate for 2024 for non-infant children
in the U.S., as compared to other states. This represents a worse ranking compared to 2023
when the state had the 17th highest rate in the country.
• Trends by age: Examining changes in mortality rates by age group among children ages 1 to
17, there were no statistically significant changes among any age category in 2023 and 2024.
However, teens ages 15 to 17 continue to have the highest mortality rates, which have increased
significantly over the last decade.
• Race and ethnicity: Among children ages one to 17, Hispanic children were the only racial/
ethnic group to experience statistically significant changes in child mortality from 2023 to 2024.
The mortality rate for Hispanic children ages 1 to 17 declined 26%, with cancer (11 fewer deaths)
and su***de (8 fewer deaths) experiencing the largest decreases. In 2024, NH Black children
experienced the highest child mortality, with rates 2.45 times higher than NH white children
(virtually unchanged from a ratio of 2.51 in 2023).
• Rural rates highest: Rural areas of North Carolina have higher rates of death for children ages 1
to 17 compared to urban or suburban areas.
• Causes of death and trends: Examining causes of death for 2024 among the 616 deaths to non-
infant children ages 1 to 17 (see Table 2 above for additional details):
— Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) were the #1 leading cause of death among teens
ages 15 to 17, who have recently experienced a significant increase in rates of MVA
deaths. MVAs were the second leading cause of death for ages 1 to 4. MVA death
rates among children age zero to 17 have increased 27% since 2015.
— Su***de was the leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 14. Over two
decades, youth su***de rates overall have trended upward, however youth su***de
rates in 2024 represent the lowest rate recorded since 2019.
— Other accidental injuries (non MVA) were the leading cause of death among
children aged 1 to 4 and ages 5 to 9, with drowning as the most common non MVA
accidental injury cause for both age groups. Other types of non MVA accidental
injuries include deaths from poisoning, firearm, smoke/fire, and choking/suffocation.
There were also three child deaths related to Hurricane Helene in 2024.
— Firearm deaths (homicide, su***de, or accidental deaths involving a firearm) saw a
significant increase during the past decade, peaking in 2021 with rates three times
that of 2015 rates, and declining in 2024 with rates still high at 2.5 times that of 2015
rates. In 2024, fi****ms remained the most common lethal means used in child and
youth homicides and su***des.
— Homicide was the second leading cause of death for older teens age 15 to 17. Homicide
rates among children ages zero to 17 rose during the past decade, peaking in 2022 at 4.4
deaths per 100,000 children and declining the past two years with rates in 2024 at 3.5.
— F or medical conditions that caused the deaths of children ages 1 to 17, cancer was the
most common cause, followed by heart disease then pneumonia/influenza. The rates of
deaths due to medical conditions/illnesses overall did not change
