Health, education & population
Last checked against the agencies' own services on Oct 8, 2026. Each figure is only as new as the agency that publishes it — the FBI's crime tables run about a year behind, the jobs numbers about a month.
Death rate, all causes
12 months to 2025 Q3Age-adjusted deaths from every cause per 100,000 people, over the twelve months ending with the quarter shown. Provisional.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics →Every figure behind this line (11)
| Period | per 100,000 people |
|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 714.1 |
| 2025 Q2 | 719.4 |
| 2025 Q1 | 723.7 |
| 2024 Q4 | 722.1 |
| 2024 Q3 | 731.9 |
| 2024 Q2 | 736.5 |
| 2024 Q1 | 745.5 |
| 2023 Q4 | 750.5 |
| 2023 Q3 | 763.4 |
| 2023 Q2 | 774.6 |
| 2023 Q1 | 763.6 |
Firearm death rate
12 months to 2025 Q2Age-adjusted deaths involving a firearm per 100,000 people, over the twelve months ending with the quarter shown. Includes homicides, suicides and accidents; provisional.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics →Every figure behind this line (10)
| Period | per 100,000 people |
|---|---|
| 2025 Q2 | 12.4 |
| 2025 Q1 | 12.6 |
| 2024 Q4 | 12.8 |
| 2024 Q3 | 13 |
| 2024 Q2 | 13.2 |
| 2024 Q1 | 13.5 |
| 2023 Q4 | 13.7 |
| 2023 Q3 | 13.9 |
| 2023 Q2 | 14 |
| 2023 Q1 | 14.2 |
Overdose death rate
12 months to 2025 Q2Age-adjusted drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people, over the twelve months ending with the quarter shown. Provisional.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics →Every figure behind this line (10)
| Period | per 100,000 people |
|---|---|
| 2025 Q2 | 20.8 |
| 2025 Q1 | 21.9 |
| 2024 Q4 | 23.1 |
| 2024 Q3 | 25.1 |
| 2024 Q2 | 27.6 |
| 2024 Q1 | 29.8 |
| 2023 Q4 | 31.3 |
| 2023 Q3 | 32.6 |
| 2023 Q2 | 32.9 |
| 2023 Q1 | 32.6 |
Overdose deaths in a year
12 months to April 2026Reported drug overdose deaths over the twelve months ending in the month shown. Provisional, and revised upward as investigations close.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics →Every figure behind this line (24)
| Period | deaths |
|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | 65726 |
| Mar 2026 | 67104 |
| Feb 2026 | 68689 |
| Jan 2026 | 69544 |
| Dec 2025 | 70646 |
| Nov 2025 | 71017 |
| Oct 2025 | 71384 |
| Sep 2025 | 71892 |
| Aug 2025 | 72373 |
| Jul 2025 | 72987 |
| Jun 2025 | 73905 |
| May 2025 | 74878 |
| Apr 2025 | 75967 |
| Mar 2025 | 77064 |
| Feb 2025 | 77831 |
| Jan 2025 | 79332 |
| Dec 2024 | 80860 |
| Nov 2024 | 82946 |
| Oct 2024 | 85178 |
| Sep 2024 | 87654 |
| Aug 2024 | 90202 |
| Jul 2024 | 93193 |
| Jun 2024 | 95741 |
| May 2024 | 97687 |
8th grade math score
2024Average score of national public school students on the NAEP mathematics assessment, on a 0–500 scale. Given every two years, so there is no monthly figure.
National Assessment of Educational Progress →Every figure behind this line (8)
| Period | NAEP scale score |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 272 |
| 2022 | 273 |
| 2019 | 281 |
| 2017 | 282 |
| 2015 | 281 |
| 2013 | 284 |
| 2011 | 283 |
| 2009 | 282 |
8th grade reading score
2024Average score of national public school students on the NAEP reading assessment, on a 0–500 scale. Given every two years, so there is no monthly figure.
National Assessment of Educational Progress →Every figure behind this line (8)
| Period | NAEP scale score |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 257 |
| 2022 | 259 |
| 2019 | 262 |
| 2017 | 265 |
| 2015 | 264 |
| 2013 | 266 |
| 2011 | 264 |
| 2009 | 262 |
4th grade math score
2024Average score of national public school students on the NAEP mathematics assessment, on a 0–500 scale. Given every two years, so there is no monthly figure.
National Assessment of Educational Progress →Every figure behind this line (8)
| Period | NAEP scale score |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 237 |
| 2022 | 235 |
| 2019 | 240 |
| 2017 | 239 |
| 2015 | 240 |
| 2013 | 241 |
| 2011 | 240 |
| 2009 | 239 |
4th grade reading score
2024Average score of national public school students on the NAEP reading assessment, on a 0–500 scale. Given every two years, so there is no monthly figure.
National Assessment of Educational Progress →Every figure behind this line (8)
| Period | NAEP scale score |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 214 |
| 2022 | 216 |
| 2019 | 219 |
| 2017 | 221 |
| 2015 | 221 |
| 2013 | 221 |
| 2011 | 220 |
| 2009 | 220 |
Provisional death rates from the CDC, and national test scores from the assessment that has used the same scale since the 1990s.
Death rates for the most recent quarters are provisional and are revised upward as investigations close.
Every figure on this page was read from CDC and NAEP. The Record does not adjust, weight or re-base any of it. CDC and NAEP →