Between 2000 and 2022, the number of deaths from colorectal cancer in people aged 20 to 44 rose slightly each year, while death rates in people aged 45 to 54 stayed about the same, suggesting that younger adults are dying from this cancer at a higher rate than before.

Between 1999 and 2020, the number of deaths from colorectal cancer among U.S. adults aged 25 to 44 rose slightly, from 2.1 to 2.6 deaths per 10,000 people, after accounting for changes in age distribution.

Since 2004, the number of deaths from colorectal cancer has risen by 1% each year among people under 50 in the United States, even as deaths from this cancer have decreased in older adults. This suggests that more younger people are being diagnosed and dying from the disease.

Colorectal cancer is becoming more common and more deadly in people aged 35 to 39, with rates rising by about 1.6% each year. This group, which typically does not undergo routine screening, is seeing the fastest increase in cases and deaths compared to other age groups.

Between 1990 and 2021, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in people under age 45 in the United States rose by 34%, from 32.9 to 43.9 cases per 100,000 people.

From 1990 to 2021, the number of colorectal cancer cases in people aged 40 to 44 rose by 59%, and the rate adjusted for population age increased by 37%, showing that this age group experienced the fastest growth in cases among young adults.