Angus deaton

Figure 9. 

All-Cause Mortality for White Non-Hispanics Age 45–54, by Couma,  

2000 and 2014

a

109 to 259

306 to 343

378 to 411

452 to 499

557 to 645

260 to 305

344 to 377

412 to 451

500 to 556

646 to 1,106

2000

2014

Sources: National Vital Statistics System; authors’ calculations. 

a. The units are deaths per 100,000. Coumas are geographic units that are a blend of counties and Public Use 

Microdata Areas. 

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ANNE CASE and ANGUS DEATON 

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and tobacco. Two-thirds of Nevadans live in and around Las Vegas, also 

known as “Sin City.” Ranking states by their all-cause mortality rate for 

WNHs age 45–54, we find that Nevada ranked 9th highest among all states 

in 2014; Utah ranked 31st. Heart disease mortality was twice as high in 

Nevada in 2014 as it was in Utah (119 per 100,000 versus 59 per 100,000). 

However, both Nevada and Utah were among the top 10 states ranked by 

mortality from drugs, alcohol, and suicide that year. Nevada was 4th high-

est, with 117 deaths per 100,000, and Utah was 10th, with 99 deaths 

per 100,000 WNHs age 45–54. The suicide rate doubled in Utah in this  

population between 1999 and 2014, and the poisoning rate increased  

150 percent. Different forces—social and economic, health behavior– 

and health care–related—may drive changes in some causes of death, but 

not others, and these forces themselves are likely to change with time.

As we saw in figure 1, changes in U.S. mortality rates for WNHs differ 

starkly by level of education. Figure 10 shows this for men and women 

separately. Changes in mortality rates between 1998 (the year with the 

Figure 10. 

Change in Mortality for White Non-Hispanics, by Level of Education, 

1998–2015

Sources: National Vital Statistics System; authors’ calculations. 

Deaths per 100,000

Deaths per 100,000