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.

According to preliminary data for 2023, ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in the Philippines. Deaths caused by this disease accounted for 19 percent of the total share of deaths in the country. This was followed by cancer, which held about 10.7 percent of the total registered deaths.

In 2021, diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious origin was the leading cause of mortality among children aged one to four years old in the Philippines. The number of deaths caused by such disease amounted to 611. The other major causes of child mortality in the country were remainder diseases of sepsis, other tuberculosis, as well as respiratory tuberculosis.

In 2024, Myanmar had the highest crude death rate among the Southeast Asian countries, with 8.9 deaths per thousand population. That year, Singapore had the lowest crude death rate, with 5.4 deaths per thousand population.Factors that influence the death rateThe death rate, also called mortality rate, is generally influenced by various factors such as the social environment, diseases, health facilities and services as well as the food supply of the respective countries. Myanmar’s government spent five percent of its public budget on health in 2016. In 2020, health expenditure per capita in Myanmar amounted to around 72 U.S. dollars. The Maldives had the lowest crude death rate in the Asia-Pacific region in 2024. There, health expenditure accounted for 13.73 percent of the country’s GDP. Furthermore, the share of undernourished people was at around three percent in Myanmar in 2020. Within Southeast Asia, Myanmar has also been one of the poorest countries. In 2020, the country’s GDP per capita was estimated at 1.15 thousand U.S. dollars, the lowest across the Asia-Pacific region.

Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.

In 2021, the morbidity rate per 100,000 population of acute respiratory infection was approximately 543.2 in the Philippines. By comparison, the morbidity rate of heart diseases per 100,000 people was 41.9 in the country.

In 2021, the leading illnesses among people living in the National Capital Region of the Philippines was hypertension, with over 69,453 cases. This was followed by acute respiratory infection and animal bites. Hypertension was one of the most common diseases among Filipinos.

According to the Department of Health, acute respiratory infection was the leading cause of morbidity in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines in 2021, with a rate of just over 238.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. This was followed by TB all forms and animal bites.

According to preliminary data between January and September 2023, 1.8 percent of deaths in the Philippines were caused by transport accidents. Ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer were the leading cause of death in the country.

According to preliminary data between January and September 2023, 6.4 percent of deaths in the Philippines were caused by diabetes mellitus diseases. Deaths from such illnesses peaked in 2020 when the share of deaths was 6.5 percent. Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed when glucose is high in the blood.

According to preliminary data between January and September 2023, 5.9 percent of deaths in the Philippines were caused by pneumonia. Deaths from such illnesses significantly dropped from 2020 onwards, from its peak share of 10.1 percent in 2019.

According to preliminary data between January and September 2023, 10.6 percent of deaths were caused by neoplasms or cancer diseases in the Philippines. Deaths from such illness were lowest in 2021 across the country, amounting to 7.8 percent.

In 2023, 100 people died due to major natural events disasters in the Philippines. The peak number of deaths due to natural calamities was reported in 2013 when Typhoon Haiyan hit various regions in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In the CALABARZON region of the Philippines, the morbidity rate of acute respiratory infection per 100,000 population amounted to approximately 278.7 in 2021. In contrast, the morbidity rate of skin disease per 100,000 inhabitants was only 45.2.

The statistic shows the infant mortality rate in the Philippines from 2012 to 2022. In 2022, the infant mortality rate in the Philippines was at about 21.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

According to preliminary data between January and September 2023, 2.8 percent of deaths in the Philippines were caused by remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system. Although deaths from such illness had increased until 2020, it has fluctuated since then. The remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system include congenital abnormalities, iatrogenic injuries, and disorders such as infection, and inflammation.

In 2021, the leading illnesses in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines was animal bites, with approximately 119,342 cases. The other leading causes of morbidity in the region were hypertension and acute respiratory infection.

The number of deaths caused by diarrhea in the Philippines reached roughly 4,355 in 2021, reflecting a significant increase from the previous year's total. The number of deaths causes by such disease peaked in 2009 at approximately 5,540.

In 2021, the leading illness in the Philippines was acute respiratory infection, with approximately 598,591 people diagnosed with this disease. This was followed by hypertension and animal bites. The morbidity rate of acute respiratory infection per hundred thousand population in the Philippines was at nearly 543.2 in that year.

In 2021, acute respiratory infection was the leading cause of morbidity in the Bicol region in the Philippines with a morbidity rate of about 1,712.6. This was followed by hypertension with a morbidity rate of around 1,107.6.