North Carolina Child Death Rate Rises, Ranks 12th Worst Nationally in 2024
State records 1,386 child deaths in 2024 as homicide rates surge among teenagers and firearms-related deaths increase dramatically.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina recorded the 12th highest child mortality rate in the nation in 2024, marking a decline from its 17th-place ranking the previous year as the state lost ground to others in preventing child deaths.
The state’s child death rate, excluding infants, reached 27.5 per 100,000 in 2024, up slightly from the year before and significantly higher than the national rate of 21.8 per 100,000, according to data presented during a Tuesday webinar organized by the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force.
In total, 1,386 children in North Carolina, from 17-year-olds down to infants, died in 2024. “This equates to approximately 77 classrooms of children lost that year,” said Kathleen Jones-Vessey of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. “Let that sink in.”
Teen Homicides Drive Concerning Trends
Motor vehicle accidents, non-motor vehicle accidents, and homicides emerged as the three leading causes of death among children ages 1 through 17, Jones-Vessey reported during the webinar. Homicides showed particularly alarming increases, especially among teenagers.
North Carolina’s child homicide rate reached 3.5 per 100,000 in 2024, exceeding the national rate of 2.7 despite declining from a peak of 4.4 in 2022. The proportion of children dying from gunshot wounds increased dramatically over recent years.
From 2020 to 2024, 73% of 460 child homicides involved firearms, compared to 54% of 264 child homicides from 2015 to 2019. Teenagers aged 15-17 accounted for the largest increase in child homicides over the past decade.
State Lags Behind National Improvements
While the national child death rate decreased 15% from 2005 to 2024, North Carolina’s rate increased 3% over the same period. Fifty-six percent of the children who died in 2024 were infants who did not live to see their first birthdays.
“Child death rates associated with homicides have increased more than any other cause of death category,” Jones-Vessey said during the presentation.
The N.C. Child Fatality Task Force, which recommends new laws and policies to reduce child deaths, will use the 2024 data to inform future discussions, said Executive Director Kella Hatcher. The task force analyzes child death statistics to identify prevention opportunities and policy changes that could save lives.
