The economic costs of trauma to the United States were analyzed by taking latest available data from United States Vital Statistics and using models to convert to dollar costs for trauma fatalities and nonfatalities. Trauma cost the nation approximately $61,025 billion dollars in fiscal 1982 (1977 figures indexed to 1982 dollars). This included $19,278 billion for direct costs (treatment related) and $41,746 billion in indirect costs (forgone earnings). The largest single category by group was indirect costs (forgone earnings) for male fatalities ($26,635 billion). The next largest was direct costs (treatment related) for male nonfatalities ($12,145 billion.) This disease is currently responsible in economic costs (1982 dollars) for 6.9% of health care expenditures and 2.3% of the United States gross national product (GNP).