Fewer people died in Colorado last year, but state’s death rate remains elevated since pandemic

Fewer Coloradans died in 2023 than in the previous year, but the state still lost more people than it did before the pandemic. Drug overdoses, COVID-19 and organ damage from alcohol were the biggest culprits behind the still-elevated number of deaths since the pandemic. In contrast, fewer people died last year of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, after accounting for the state population’s growth and aging since 2019.