what is the number one killer of children in america

Firearms are the number one killer of children in America. According to a KFF analysis, firearms were responsible for 20% of all child and teen deaths in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021, surpassing deaths due to motor vehicles, which had long been the number one factor in child deaths. In 2020, guns – including accidental deaths, suicides, and homicides – killed 4,357 children (ages 1-19 years old) in the United States, roughly 5.6 per 100,000 children. The number of children and teens killed by gunfire in the United States increased by 50% between 2019 and 2021, with the gun death rate rising from 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 minor residents in 2019 to 3.5 per 100,000 two years later. This makes firearms the leading cause of death for children in the United States, but they rank no higher than fifth in 11 other large and wealthy countries. Its important to note that the U.S. is the only country among its peers that has seen a substantial increase in the rate of child firearm deaths in the last two decades.