In 2022, the states with the highest death rates due to heart disease were Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama. That year, there were around 257 deaths due to heart disease per 100,000 population in the state of Oklahoma. In comparison, the overall death rate from heart disease in the United States was 167 per 100,000 population. The leading cause of death in the United States Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 21 percent of all deaths in 2022. That year, cancer was the second leading cause of death, followed by unintentional injuries and COVID-19. In the United States, a person has a one in six chance of dying from heart disease. Death rates for heart disease are higher among men than women, but both have seen steady decreases in heart disease death rates since the 1950s. What are risk factors for heart disease? Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, the risk of heart disease can be decreased by avoiding known risk factors. Some of the leading preventable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, heavy alcohol use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and being overweight or obese. It is no surprise that the states with the highest rates of death from heart disease are also the states with the highest rates of heart disease risk factors. For example, Oklahoma, the state with the highest heart disease death rate, is also the state with the third-highest rate of obesity. Furthermore, Mississippi is the state with the highest levels of physical inactivity, and it has the second-highest heart disease death rate in the United States.

As of 2022, the countries with the highest death rates worldwide were Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Moldova. In these countries, there were 17 to 21 deaths per 1,000 people. The country with the lowest death rate is Qatar, where there is just one death per 1,000 people. Leading causes of death The leading causes of death worldwide are by far, ischaemic heart disease and stroke, accounting for a combined 27 percent of all deaths in 2019. In that year, there were 8.89 million deaths worldwide from ischaemic heart disease and 6.19 million from stroke. Interestingly, a worldwide survey from that year found that people greatly underestimate the proportion of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, but overestimate the proportion of deaths caused by suicide, interpersonal violence, and substance use disorders. Death in the United States In 2022, there were around 3.27 million deaths in the United States. The leading causes of death in the United States are currently heart disease and cancer, accounting for a combined 40 percent of all deaths in 2022. Lung and bronchus cancer is the deadliest form of cancer worldwide, as well as in the United States. In the U.S. this form of cancer is predicted to cause around 65,790 deaths among men alone in the year 2024. Prostate cancer is the second-deadliest cancer for men in the U.S. while breast cancer is the second deadliest for women. In 2022, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States was COVID-19. Deaths due to COVID-19 resulted in a significant rise in the total number of deaths in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019.

According to the findings of a survey by IPSOS, every country in the study underestimated the number of people who die each year from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease. Those in South Africa and Hong Kong had the most accurate guesses, with the average guess being 9 percent below the actual percentage. This statistic shows the actual vs public estimates for number of deaths per 100 which occur as a result of cardiovascular disease worldwide as of 2019.

This statistic shows the top 20 counties in the United States based on heart disease death rate among the 35+ population in the period 2014-2016. The heart disease death rate of the 35+ population in Franklin county in the state of Louisiana was the highest, with 1,170.5 deaths from heart disease per every 100,000 of that age group.

This statistic displays the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease in the United Kingdom in 2022, by country. In that year, Scotland had the highest death rate from the disease, with 334 deaths per 100,000 population.

In 2020, the mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) was highest in Bulgaria with approximately 1,077 deaths per 100,000 population. In Ukraine, CVD caused around 930 deaths per 100,000. On the other hand, Luxembourg had the lowest mortality rate at fewer than 160 deaths per 100,000.

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2022, COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for almost six percent of all deaths that year. The leading causes of death worldwide are similar to those in the United States. However, diarrheal diseases and neonatal conditions are major causes of death worldwide, but are not among the leading causes in the United States. Instead, accidents and chronic liver disease have a larger impact in the United States.

Racial differences

In the United States, there exist slight differences in leading causes of death depending on race and ethnicity. For example, assault, or homicide, accounts for around three percent of all deaths among the Black population but is not even among the leading causes of death for other races and ethnicities. However, heart disease and cancer are still the leading causes of death for all races and ethnicities.

Leading causes of death among men vs women

Similarly, there are also differences in the leading causes of death in the U.S. between men and women. For example, among men, intentional self-harm accounts for around two percent of all deaths but is not among the leading causes of death among women. On the other hand, influenza and pneumonia account for more deaths among women than men.

Since 2008, HIV/AIDS remains the most fatal infectious disease in China. In 2021, almost 14 out of one million people in China died from AIDS. Tuberculosis stood at the second place, while rabies ranked the fourth.

Who are the high risk groups?

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has become a growing concern for the major population in China. A majority of new infections were the result from sexual transmission. Although the prevalence rate has been relatively low, the trend of new diagnoses in people aged from 15 to 24 years has been alarming, with gay men disproportionately represented.

Children under the age of 14 are the most vulnerable group to contract common infectious diseases like influenza and HFMD. The Chinese government has thus introduced healthcare initiatives dedicated to vaccinating children up to the age of 14 under the Extended Program for Immunization (EPI). The efforts have been fruitful with significant improvement in the healthcare status of children under the age of five in the country.

How is disease controlled in China?

The world’s most populous nation has made considerable efforts in tracking and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Alongside geographical and demographic challenges, the mortality rate of infectious diseases has seen a slight increase over the recent years. Seasonal diseases, especially Influenza and mumps, are easily widespread and have pressed the demand for efficient disease prevention and control. In response, the Chinese government has ramped up the supply of influenza vaccines and HPV vaccines.

In 2021, South Korea had the lowest rate of death from ischemic heart disease among OECD countries, with around 28 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, there were around 395 deaths due to ischemic heart disease per 100,000 population in Lithuania. Cardiovascular disease worldwide Fatty deposits accumulating in the inner wall of the coronary artery which restrict blood flow to the heart cause ischemic heart disease (IHD) and can also precipitate heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, heavy alcohol use, and unhealthy diet are more prevalent in Eastern European countries, contributing to a much higher burden of cardiovascular diseases and deaths. In Russia, the general public greatly underestimates the burden of cardiovascular diseases with the actual number of deaths over 40 percent higher than what people estimate. Prevention and intervention Invasive interventions for heart disease can include surgical procedures such as heart bypass surgery- where blood is diverted around clogged parts of major arteries- which ranges in cost around the world. Other medical interventions include the use of prescribed or over-the-counter drugs, such as prescription nitrates or beta blockers, or OTC medications like aspirin. Lifestyle factors to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help decrease risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases, including maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and smoking and alcohol cessation.

From 2019 to 2021, Arkansas had the highest rate of death due to coronary heart disease of any U.S. state, with a rate of around 132 deaths per 100,000. This statistic shows death rates for coronary heart disease in the United States from 2019 to 2021, by state.

In 2021, malignant neoplasms, commonly called cancer, was responsible for 24.61 percent of deaths caused by major diseases in urban China. Its mortality rate stood at 158.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2021. Heart diseases and cerebrovascular disease were also among the top three death causes.

Peru is the country with the highest mortality rate due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Latin America. As of November 13, 2023, the country registered over 672 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed by Brazil, with around 331.5 fatal cases per 100,000 population. In total, over 1.76 million people have died due to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Are these figures accurate? Although countries like Brazil already rank among the countries most affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there is still room to believe that the number of cases and deaths in Latin American countries are underreported. The main reason is the relatively low number of tests performed in the region. For example, Brazil, one of the most impacted countries in the world, has performed approximately 63.7 million tests as of December 22, 2022. This compared with over one billion tests performed in the United States, approximately 909 million tests completed in India, or around 522 million tests carried out in the United Kingdom.

Capacity to deal with the outbreak With the spread of the Omicron variant, the COVID-19 pandemic is putting health systems around the world under serious pressure. The lack of equipment to treat acute cases, for instance, is one of the problems affecting Latin American countries. In 2019, the number of ventilators in hospitals in the most affected countries ranged from 25.23 per 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil to 5.12 per 100,000 people in Peru.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The most common cause of death in Russia in 2023 was diseases of the circulatory system, with approximately 557 deaths per 100 thousand of the country's population. Furthermore, 197 deaths per 100 thousand population occurred due to neoplasms, which were the second leading cause of mortality in the country. The third most common cause was diseases of the nervous system, accounting for nearly 74 deaths per 100 thousand residents. Are there more births or deaths in Russia per year? In recent years, the annual number of deaths was higher than the count of births in Russia. The natural decrease in the population, calculated as the difference between deaths and births, was around one million in 2021. The number of deaths per one thousand population, also known as the mortality rate, increased from 16.7 in 2021 to 12.9 in 2022. How long do Russians live on average? Russian residents born in 2022 were expected to live an average of 73 years. The country had one of the largest gender gaps in life expectancy in OECD, according to the World Bank's World Development Indicators in 2021. Women were expected to live for approximately 10 years longer than men.

Preliminary figures for 2023 indicated that ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in the Philippines. The number of people who died from this illness was estimated at 124,437. Following this, cancer resulted in the deaths of about 71,000 people. Eating habits Heart diseases have been linked to high meat consumption, among others. In the Philippines, pork has been the most consumed meat type, followed closely by chicken. While pork meat is typically produced domestically, the country also imports pork to supplement its supply. However, plant-based food has started gaining popularity among Filipinos. In fact, a 2024 survey revealed that 69 percent of surveyed Filipinos consumed plant-based products, including meat alternatives. Common diseases in the Philippines Aside from heart and cerebrovascular diseases, the Filipino population is also exposed to infections, diabetes, skin diseases, and illnesses resulting from high meat consumption. In 2020, over 700,000 Filipinos contracted acute respiratory tract infections, followed by over 400,000 diagnosed with hypertension. In areas with high exposure to rain, dengue infections and leptospirosis have also become prevalent.

Heart diseases were one of the leading death causes in Taiwan. In 2023, the death rate of heart diseases was higher for males than for females, amounting to 116.9 deaths per one hundred thousand population. In that year, around 23.4 thousand people died from heart diseases on the island.

The leading cause of death in low-income countries worldwide in 2021 was lower respiratory infections, followed by stroke and ischemic heart disease. The death rate from lower respiratory infections that year was 59.4 deaths per 100,000 people. While the death rate from stroke was around 51.6 per 100,000 people. Many low-income countries suffer from health issues not seen in high-income countries, including infectious diseases, malnutrition and neonatal deaths, to name a few. Low-income countries worldwide Low-income countries are defined as those with per gross national incomes (GNI) per capita of 1,045 U.S. dollars or less. A majority of the world’s low-income countries are located in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Some of the lowest-income countries as of 2023 include Burundi, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Low-income countries have different health problems that lead to worse health outcomes. For example, Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria have some of the lowest life expectancies on the planet. Health issues in low-income countries Low-income countries also tend to have higher rates of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases as a consequence of poor health infrastructure and a lack of qualified health workers. Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa have some of the highest rates of new HIV infections worldwide. Likewise, tuberculosis, a treatable condition that affects the respiratory system, has high incident rates in lower income countries. Other health issues can be affected by the income of a country as well, including maternal and infant mortality. In 2023, Afghanistan had one of the highest rates of infant mortality rates in the world.

The number of deaths caused by heart disease has decreased in the United States from 321.8 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 161.5 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019. Nevertheless, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the country, followed closely by cancer, which has a mortality rate of 146.2 per 100,000 people.

Heart disease in the U.S.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are often associated with atherosclerosis which occurs when plaque builds up along arterial walls. This can limit the flow of blood and can lead to blood clots, a common cause of stroke or heart attacks. Other types of heart disease include arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms) and heart valve problems. Many of these diseases can be treated with medication, although many complications will still remain. One of the leading cholesterol lowering drugs in the United States, Crestor, generated around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2021.

Risk Factors for heart disease There are many risk factors associated with the development of heart disease including family history, ethnicity, and age. However, there are other factors that can be modified through lifestyle changes such as physical inactivity, smoking, and unhealthy diets. Obesity has also been commonly associated with risk factors like hypertension and diabetes type II. In the U.S., some 30 percent of white adults are currently obese.

In 2023, around 192 out of 100,000 Canadians died from major cardiovascular diseases. In 2000, the death rate stood at over 247 deaths per 100,000. This statistic displays the age-standardized death rate for major cardiovascular diseases in Canada from 2000 to 2023. Cardiovascular health Cardiovascular health and disease has come to the forefront of healthcare in recent years, as the burden due to these diseases and related conditions has increased over time in an aging population. Public health strategies are focused on reducing the impact of cardiovascular conditions through education and interventions targeted at decreasing the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases- many of which involve lifestyle and diet elements. Medical interventions for cardiovascular disease can range from emergency interventions to surgical procedures to pharmacological treatments: in Canada, medications for the cardiovascular system held over two percent of the sales share for patented drugs in 2021. Causes of death in Canada Worldwide, Canada ranks in the top twenty countries for life expectancy and is well above the OECD average, with the average life expectancy higher for Canadian women than for men. Much like in other developed countries, malignant neoplasms join cardiovascular diseases in the leading causes of death in Canada; other main causes of death in the country include accidents, cerebrovascular diseases, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Over the past couple decades, the age-standardized death rate for all causes among Canada’s population has increased; in 2023, it reached nearly 814 per 100,000 population.

Among the ten major virus outbreaks in the last 50 years, Marburg ranked first in terms of the fatality rate with 80 percent. In comparison, the recent novel coronavirus, originating from the Chinese city of Wuhan, had an estimated fatality rate of 2.2 percent as of January 31, 2020.

Alarming COVID-19 fatality rate in Mexico More than 812,000 people worldwide had died from COVID-19 as of August 24, 2020. Three of the most populous countries in the world have reported particularly large numbers of coronavirus-related deaths: Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. Out of those three nations, Mexico has the highest COVID-19 death rate, with around one in ten confirmed cases resulting in death. The high fatality rate in Mexico indicates that cases may be much higher than reported because testing capacity has been severely stretched.

Post-lockdown complacency a real danger In March 2020, each infected person was estimated to transmit the COVID-19 virus to between 1.5 and 3.5 other people, which was a higher infection rate than the seasonal flu. The coronavirus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets, and transmission commonly occurs when people are in close contact. As lockdowns ease around the world, people are being urged not to become complacent; continue to wear face coverings and practice social distancing, which can help to prevent further infections.

This statistic displays the mortality rate from coronary heart disease in the United Kingdom in 2022, by country. In that year, Scotland had the highest death rate from the disease, with 129 deaths per 100,000 population.