# Americans Dying Abroad: US Government Statistics **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471 "2008-09-27T14:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/1 "2008-09-27T14:54:19Z")
See the figures [here](http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/death/death_4330.html). Broken down by type of death and, um, most popular (?) countries for Americans to die in. Thailand ranks No 3, behind Mexico and Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/2 "2008-09-27T15:41:50Z")
I’d have expected Canada to rank higher, just from the number and frequency of cross-border traffic, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/3 "2008-09-27T17:38:14Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > I’d have expected Canada to rank higher, just from the number and frequency of cross-border traffic, honestly. And the Deadly Beaver Ninjas. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/4 "2008-09-28T02:51:31Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > I’d have expected Canada to rank higher, just from the number and frequency of cross-border traffic, honestly. I think they’re only counting real countries. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/5 "2008-09-28T03:07:12Z")
They must not be including military deaths. Hmmm… “drug-related” deaths? Reminds me of the old SNL skits when the cops would shoot a guy down, shake their heads sadly and say, “another drug-related death”. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/6 "2008-09-28T03:20:44Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > They must not be including military deaths. > > Hmmm… “drug-related” deaths? Reminds me of the old SNL skits when the cops would shoot a guy down, shake their heads sadly and say, “another drug-related death”. Iraq’s No 2 on the list, and I don’t think it’s package tourists to Baghdad. But under the causes of death, they don’t list military action. Odd. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/7 "2008-09-28T03:26:39Z")
And hey, only 105 deaths for Iraq, so I guess it’s not military. So who are these 105? Off-duty soldiers? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/8 "2008-09-28T03:27:48Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And hey, only 105 deaths for Iraq, so I guess it’s not military. So who are these 105? Off-duty soldiers? Blackwater contractors? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/9 "2008-09-28T03:29:17Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Blackwater contractors? Aid workers, too. ISTR a few of those have been killed rather famously in the past several years. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/10 "2008-09-28T03:38:34Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Aid workers, too. ISTR a few of those have been killed rather famously in the past several years. ☹ Ah yes. And a journalist or two, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/11 "2008-09-28T15:48:37Z")
I bet **madmonk28** could answer this, but I suspect that a lot of them are civilian contractors. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/12 "2008-09-28T19:58:35Z")
What the heck is a “maritime incident” if it’s not drowning? Pirates? _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/13 "2008-09-28T20:08:41Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > What the heck is a “maritime incident” if it’s not drowning? > > Pirates? > > _shudder_ Anything from the dramatic to the mundane…Stranded and starved? Hypothermia (either in or out of water)? Neck broken by a swinging boom? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/14 "2008-09-28T21:16:38Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > What the heck is a “maritime incident” if it’s not drowning? > > Pirates? > > _shudder_ Also it makes a nice catch-all for anyone who goes missing while sailing through the national waters, without any other evidence as to what exactly happened. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/15 "2008-09-28T21:35:17Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I bet **madmonk28** could answer this, but I suspect that a lot of them are civilian contractors. Yeah, they are aid workers, contractors, and some USG employees. In addition to Blackwater, you have contractors driving trucks, working on infrastructure projects and the odd rocket into the Green Zone. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/16 "2008-09-29T01:35:40Z")
Friendly advice for Americans going on holidays, take swimming lessons for goodness’ sake! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/17 "2008-09-29T05:48:21Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Friendly advice for Americans going on holidays, take swimming lessons for goodness’ sake! And stay out of Pattaya high-rises. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/18 "2008-09-29T07:06:58Z")
Looking at the report of Non-Natural Dealth Cases Abroad July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2008, of 20 deaths of Americans listed in Japan, 13 are suicides!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/19 "2008-09-29T07:27:25Z")
When in Rome… ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471/20 "2008-09-29T09:06:41Z")
And look at Germany, number 5 on that list. I’d post more, but I’ve got to hunt up a monster roll of bubble wrap for the family. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-dying-abroad-us-government-statistics/465471.md?page=2)