CPR Facts & Stats

How CPR is changing (and saving) lives

An Emergency Lifesaving Procedure

CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.

business woman using AED on man on office floor
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In one year alone, 436,000 Americans die from a cardiac arrest.

Globally, cardiac arrest claims more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.
senior man with chest pain in a park

More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year.

In 2020, any-mention sudden cardiac arrest mortality in the US was 436,852. CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. According to 2021 US data for adult OHCA only, survival to hospital discharge was 9.1% for all EMS-treated non-traumatic OHCA cardiac arrests.

man performing CPR in workplace

Bystander CPR improves survival.

The location of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) most often occurs in homes/residences (73.4%), followed by public settings (16.3%), and nursing homes (10.3%).

If performed immediately, CPR can double or triple the chance of survival from an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

EMT paramedics helping man on stretcher

Help is needed immediately.

Unfortunately, only about 40% of people who experience an OHCA get the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. The 2023 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics state that among the over 356,000 OHCA that occurred, 40.2% received bystander CPR.

The AHA is a worldwide leader in first aid, CPR, and AED training - educating more than 22 million people globally in CPR each year.

Workplace Safety

There are about 10,000 cardiac arrests in the workplace each year in the United States, according to a report from the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

Did you know: only 50% of people can locate an automated external defibrillator (AED) at work?

With 10,000 cardiac arrests annually in the workplace, knowing this small piece of information has the potential to save thousands of lives.

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Workplace Statistics

Among 2,000 employees in corporate offices, hospitality, education and industry/labor:

  • 55 percent can’t get first aid or CPR and AED training from their employer.
  • If training is available, it’s often either CPR or first aid, not both.
  • Half of all US workers cannot locate an AED at work.
  • In the hospitality industry, 66 percent of employees cannot locate an AED.

Practicing CPR on a manikin

Learn How to Save a Life

Take a course to learn the lifesaving skills of CPR, first aid, how to use an AED, and more.

Learn about a few of our different training programs: