Hypothermia and cold-related deaths: statistics for the US and Canada
In 2023, 1,024 deaths in the United States were attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia, according to CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, with January the peak month. In Canada, Statistics Canada vital statistics record 1,678 deaths from exposure to excessive natural cold from 2011 to 2023, an average of 129 a year. Men and older adults account for most deaths.
Key numbers at a glance
Each figure below is shown exactly as the source reports it. Totals differ between rows because they cover different years and use different death certificate definitions, explained further down.
| Figure | Data year | Measure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,024 deaths | 2023 | US deaths identified by underlying cause X31 (excessive natural cold) and multiple cause T68 (hypothermia) | CDC NCHS, MMWR QuickStats, 2025 |
| 19.9% of those deaths occurred in January | 2023 | Share of the same US deaths by month | CDC NCHS, MMWR QuickStats, 2025 |
| 0.93 per 100,000 (rural men) vs 0.11 (big-city women) | 2018 to 2020 | Crude US death rate, same definition, by urbanization and sex | CDC NCHS, MMWR QuickStats, 2022 |
| 13,419 deaths, 67% male | 2003 to 2013 | US deaths with underlying or contributing cause of exposure to excessive natural cold | CDC, MMWR, 2015 |
| 1,678 deaths, average 129 a year | 2011 to 2023 | Canadian deaths coded X31 (exposure to excessive natural cold) | Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada vital statistics |
| 9,425 hospitalizations | Fiscal 2011 to 2023 | Canadian cold-related hospitalizations, excluding Quebec | Public Health Agency of Canada |
How many people die of hypothermia each year in the US?
The most recent national count we found is for 2023: 1,024 deaths attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia, published by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics in February 2025. Most occurred in January, February, November and December, and January alone accounted for 19.9 percent.
Earlier CDC counts using a slightly broader code set give a sense of the long-run level. From 1999 to 2011, 16,911 deaths were associated with exposure to excessive natural cold (codes X31, T68 and T69), an average of 1,301 a year. The yearly total ranged from 1,058 in 2006 to 1,536 in 2010.
The EPA climate indicator on cold-related deaths, built on CDC WONDER data, reports that the rate of deaths with cold as the underlying cause generally ranged from 1 to 2.5 per million people from 1979 to 2016, and that more than 19,000 Americans died from cold-related causes over that span.
Who is most at risk of dying from the cold?
Men die of cold far more often than women in both countries. Males were 67 percent of US hypothermia-related deaths from 2003 to 2013, and 68.2 percent of Canadian cold-related deaths from 2011 to 2023.
Age matters as well. In the US from 2003 to 2013, mean death rates for adults 65 and older were 1.8 per 100,000 for men and 1.1 for women, against overall unadjusted rates of 0.3 to 0.5 per 100,000. In Canada from 2011 to 2023, people 65 and older accounted for 722 deaths (43.0 percent), a rate of 8.9 per million, compared with 4.6 per million at ages 50 to 64.
Place matters too. From 2018 to 2020, US death rates were highest in noncore (rural) counties: 0.93 per 100,000 for men and 0.40 for women, compared with 0.29 and 0.11 in large central metro areas.
What role do alcohol and homelessness play?
National death data rarely record housing status or intoxication, so the best evidence comes from smaller reviews. In a CDC review of 27 hypothermia-related deaths in Wisconsin from January to April 2014, six of the nine decedents tested for alcohol were positive, 15 lived alone, two had been homeless and 18 were found outdoors.
In Canada, the CHIRPP sentinel emergency department system recorded 1,650 cold-related cases from April 2011 to July 2024. Of these, 9.1 percent involved a patient experiencing homelessness, and 23.5 percent indicated that a substance had been taken, with alcohol the most common (68.9 percent of those cases). CHIRPP covers selected, mostly urban hospitals, so these shares describe injuries, not deaths, and are not national rates.
How many people die from the cold in Canada?
The Public Health Agency of Canada, using Statistics Canada vital statistics, reports 1,678 cold-related deaths from 2011 to 2023, defined by ICD-10 code X31, and says deaths increased overall by 4.1 percent over those 13 years.
Frostbite drives more hospital care than hypothermia. Of 9,425 cold-related hospitalizations from fiscal 2011 to 2023 (Quebec excluded), frostbite accounted for 60.6 percent and hypothermia for 35.0 percent, and 73.4 percent of patients were male.
Why do cold death counts differ between sources?
The main reason is the definition. A death certificate lists one underlying cause and several contributing causes. Counting only deaths where cold is the underlying cause (X31) gives the lowest number. Adding deaths where hypothermia (T68) appears anywhere on the certificate raises it; EPA notes that including contributing causes more than doubles the rate in most years from 1999 to 2015.
None of these counts include the larger number of winter deaths from heart and lung disease that researchers link statistically to cold weather. Those estimates come from modeling, not death certificates, and are not shown here.
How we compiled these numbers
We used official publications only: CDC NCHS QuickStats and MMWR reports built on the National Vital Statistics System, the EPA cold-related deaths indicator built on CDC WONDER, and the Public Health Agency of Canada injury page built on Statistics Canada vital statistics, hospital discharge data and CHIRPP. Every figure keeps the data years and code definitions its source used, and we have not combined or projected any totals. The newest national US count available was for 2023. This page is updated each winter as new data are released.
When to get help
Shivering, confusion, slurred speech or unusual drowsiness in the cold can signal hypothermia and needs emergency care. If you have questions about your own risk, such as a medication or a condition that affects temperature, talk to a clinician.
Key takeaways
The US recorded 1,024 deaths attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia in 2023, with January the peak month.
Canada recorded 1,678 deaths from exposure to excessive natural cold from 2011 to 2023, an average of 129 a year.
Men account for about two thirds of cold deaths in both countries, and adults 65 and older have the highest death rates.
US rates are highest in rural counties; alcohol, living alone and homelessness appear often in case reviews.
Counts depend on definitions: underlying cause only gives lower totals than any mention of hypothermia.
Frequently asked questions
How many people die of hypothermia each year in the United States?
CDC's National Center for Health Statistics counted 1,024 deaths attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia in 2023. From 1999 to 2011, a broader CDC count averaged 1,301 deaths a year. The difference reflects which death certificate codes are included.
How many people die from the cold in Canada each year?
Statistics Canada vital statistics, reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada, show 1,678 deaths coded as exposure to excessive natural cold from 2011 to 2023. That is an average of 129 deaths a year.
What age group is most likely to die of hypothermia?
Older adults. In the US from 2003 to 2013, adults 65 and older had mean death rates of 1.8 per 100,000 (men) and 1.1 (women). In Canada from 2011 to 2023, people 65 and older accounted for 43.0 percent of cold-related deaths.
Do more men or women die from hypothermia?
Men. Males made up 67 percent of US hypothermia-related deaths from 2003 to 2013 and 68.2 percent of Canadian cold-related deaths from 2011 to 2023. Rates were higher for men than women at every US urbanization level from 2018 to 2020.
Why do different sources give different numbers of cold deaths?
They count different things. Some include only deaths where exposure to excessive natural cold (X31) is the underlying cause, while others add deaths where hypothermia appears anywhere on the death certificate. EPA notes that adding contributing causes more than doubled the rate in most years from 1999 to 2015.
What month has the most hypothermia deaths?
January. In 2023, 19.9 percent of US deaths attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia occurred in January, and most of the rest fell in February, November and December.
Related reading
Sources
Hypothermia-Related Deaths: Wisconsin, 2014, and United States, 2003 to 2013, CDC, MMWR
Climate Change Indicators: Cold-Related Deaths, US Environmental Protection Agency
Cold-related injuries in Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Infobase
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