As national death rate dips, some states did better than others

The U.S. national death rate fell to a historic low in 2025, with Northeastern states like New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York seeing significant drops in death rates between 2015 and 2025. These declines are attributed to healthcare expansion, reduced firearm deaths, and lower traffic accident rates, though some experts warn that recent policy shifts threatening Medicaid and rural hospitals could undermine progress.