What are the odds of dying from a bee, wasp, or hornet sting?
Evidence quality 4.88/5
Eight-dimension review score against the quality rubric . Each dimension scored 1–5.
- D1 Source grounding
- 5/5
- D2 Source authority
- 5/5
- D3 Arithmetic
- 5/5
- D4 Uncertainty
- 5/5
- D5 Scope
- 5/5
- D6 Prose
- 5/5
- D7 Perception honesty
- 4/5
- D8 Caveat completeness
- 5/5
Lifetime probability · lifetime, US adult
1 in 76,923
0.001% lifetime chance
range 1 in 125,000 to 1 in 50,000
● your factors — click this risk ▾ to reveal
≈ As likely as
Perceived
Most people are aware that some individuals are fatally allergic to bee and wasp stings, but the actual death toll is not well-known. Sting fatalities sit in a mid-range of public awareness: higher than sharks or lightning in general perception, but rarely a top-of-mind concern outside allergy communities. No comprehensive national survey isolates worry about venom anaphylaxis specifically.
Rough estimate: Most people would guess a handful of deaths per year -- consistent with the actual ~62--72 annual average
Source: editorial intuition, not polled
Actual
~72 deaths per year from hornet, wasp, and bee stings (US, 2011--2021 average)
US general population
Show derivation
CDC MMWR QuickStats (2023) reports 788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings during 2011--2021, for an annual average of approximately 72 deaths per year. (The earlier 2000--2017 series averaged 62 per year.) Using 72/year as the primary estimate: 72 / 330,000,000 = 0.000000218 per person per year. Compounded over 59 adult years: 1 − (1 − 0.000000218)^59 = 1 − 0.999987 = 0.0000129. Rounding to 0.000013, which is approximately 1 in 77,000. This is a population-average figure that blends people with known venom allergy (who face much higher risk without treatment), people with no known allergy who experience a first fatal reaction (~60% of deaths), and people with prescriptions for epinephrine autoinjectors (who face lower risk if they carry and use them promptly).
Caveats: Approximately 60% of fatal venom reactions occur in people with no known prior a…
Approximately 60% of fatal venom reactions occur in people with no known prior anaphylaxis diagnosis -- first sensitization goes unrecognized until a fatal second exposure. This makes the risk difficult to eliminate through simple avoidance without systematic skin testing. Deaths from food-induced anaphylaxis (peanut, shellfish) are NOT included in this entry; this figure covers venom anaphylaxis only. Death is classified as due to "hornet, wasp, or bee stings" (ICD-10 code X23) on the death certificate, which may miss cases where the sting was a contributing but not primary listed cause. The 72/year figure likely slightly undercounts total venom- related deaths. Imported Africanized honey bees expand the exposure in southern states.
Risks at similar odds
Other risks with roughly the same likelihood — useful for calibration.
Aluminum & Alzheimer's
What are the odds of getting Alzheimer's disease from cooking with aluminum pots or foil?
Recently viewed on this device
Stored locally — clear anytime.
Pick challenger
Bee, wasp, and hornet stings kill an average of about 72 Americans per year according to the most recent CDC MMWR analysis covering 2011—2021 (788 total deaths, 72/year average). The earlier 2000—2017 series averaged 62 per year, with a peak of 89 in 2017. At 72 deaths per year in a population of 330 million, the annual probability is approximately 0.22 per million people — and compounded over a 59-year adult lifetime, the lifetime probability is roughly 1 in 77,000. That places venom fatality well below lightning (1 in ~14,000 lifetime) but above shark attack globally.
The population-average figure obscures a stark sex imbalance: approximately 80% of deaths are male. This likely reflects both higher occupational exposure (landscaping, agriculture, beekeeping) and possible differences in health-seeking behavior after a sting reaction. Critically, about 60% of fatal reactions occur in people with no prior documented anaphylaxis diagnosis — meaning the first sensitizing sting goes unrecognized, and a subsequent sting provokes a fatal reaction before anyone has had reason to prescribe epinephrine. This is not purely a “known allergy” problem: it is a broader population risk for anyone who accumulates venom exposure outdoors.
Prompt epinephrine administration is the primary treatment for venom anaphylaxis and dramatically reduces fatality risk. For people with confirmed venom hypersensitivity, allergen immunotherapy (a multi-year course of venom injections) can reduce the systemic reaction rate by approximately 95%. For the general population, the most important practical implication of the 1 in 77,000 figure is calibration: venom anaphylaxis is a real cause of death, more common than many exotic risks, but also highly modifiable for those who know they are at risk and carry their prescribed autoinjector.
Claim ledger
Every number below is what each source reported, with the verbatim quote we relied on and how we arrived at our figure. Click any link to verify directly.
-
[1] CDC MMWR / National Vital Statistics System — QuickStats: Number of Deaths from Hornet, Wasp, and Bee Stings Among Males and Females -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011--2021
QuickStats: Number of Deaths from Hornet, Wasp, and Bee Stings Among Males and Females -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011--2021- Statistic
788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings during 2011--2021; annual average of ~72 deaths per year; approximately 80% of deaths occurred among males- Excerpt
“"During 2011--2021, a total of 788 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings occurred (average of 72 per year). Approximately 80% of deaths occurred among males." ”
- Source data from
- 2023-07-07
- Accessed
- 2026-05-14 · archived copy
- Calculation
- 788 deaths / 11 years = 71.6, rounded to 72/year. Annual rate: 72 / 330,000,000 = 0.000000218 per person per year. Lifetime probability over 59 years: 1 − (1 − 0.000000218)^59 = 0.0000129, reported as 0.000013. The earlier MMWR series (2000--2017, average 62/year) yields a similar figure; the 2011--2021 series is used as the more recent estimate.
- Independence
- CDC MMWR QuickStats draws on the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), which collects death certificate data from all US states. This is the authoritative source for cause-of-death mortality statistics in the United States.
-
[2] CDC MMWR / National Vital Statistics System — QuickStats: Number of Deaths from Hornet, Wasp, and Bee Stings, Among Males and Females -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2000--2017
QuickStats: Number of Deaths from Hornet, Wasp, and Bee Stings, Among Males and Females -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2000--2017See all 2 Likelier entries citing this source →
- Statistic
1,109 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings during 2000--2017; annual average of approximately 62 deaths; 80% of deaths were among males- Excerpt
“"During 2000--2017, a total of 1,109 deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings occurred (annual average of approximately 62 deaths). In 2017, the highest number of deaths in this time period occurred (89 deaths). Approximately 80% of deaths occurred among males." ”
- Source data from
- 2019-07-19
- Accessed
- 2026-05-14 · archived copy
- Calculation
- Earlier series confirming the ~62--72 annual range. The 2019 MMWR (2000--2017 series) and 2023 MMWR (2011--2021 series) are independently compiled from the same NVSS underlying data, providing temporal consistency. The 2017 peak of 89 deaths reflects year-to-year variability around the long-run mean of ~65--72.
- Independence
- Both MMWR QuickStats reports are independently published analyses of the NVSS death certificate data. The two time series overlap (2011--2017 is shared) but are published separately as distinct analytical snapshots with independent editorial review.