In much of the world, the causes of unnatural death for Americans abroad are similar to those at home—suicides and accidents, particularly car crashes. A handful of places show more unusual patterns: a high number of murders from #Mexico across Central America and into Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana; terrorist deaths in #Iraq and Afghanistan; and drowning in coastal destinations, including many island nations in the Caribbean and South Pacific.
In Vietnam and Indonesia, motorcycles are a common form of transport—and the top hazard for American travelers. In #Nepal, thrill-seekers climbing Mount Everest fly onto a strip of asphalt in the mountains that’s been called the world’s scariest airport. Over the past 10 years, 13 Americans have died in air accidents there, the most common cause. (The data don’t include deaths from this year’s earthquake in Nepal.)
Drug overdoses kill more Americans than car crashes at home, but they’re a far less common cause of death for U.S. travelers, with little more than 200 recorded in the past 10 years. Still, they were the leading reason Americans died in Cambodia and Laos.
The statistics tally deaths recorded by the State Department for U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad. It doesn’t include members of the military or government officials posted in foreign countries. It’s also not a comprehensive account, because survivors may not inform the State Department of every death, particularly of expats who settled overseas long term.
The government doesn’t keep comprehensive records of civilian deaths abroad. But the State Department is required to collect and publish information on citizens’ deaths from unnatural causes, recording more than 8,000 in the past 10 years. The picture that emerges from that data tells us a little bit about risks around the globe.
Curated from How Americans Die Abroad – Bloomberg Business
