In 2024, malignant neoplasms were the leading cause of death among the male population in Japan at around ******* cases. This number accounted for approximately **** percent of the death cases of men recorded during that year. Heart diseases, excluding hypertensive heart diseases, followed with a share of around **** percent. Malignant neoplasmsIn recent years, malignant neoplasms have been the leading cause of death for both female and male populations in Japan. The most frequent cause of cancerous tumor related deaths has continued to be lung cancer for both men and women. As smoking and passive smoking are some of the main causes of lung cancer, the health ministry in Japan set the goal of reducing the smoking rate of adults. To minimize the risk of passive smoking, the government amended the Health Promotion Act and prohibited smoking in public facilities, offices, most restaurants, and public areas starting from April 2020. SuicideOne of the leading causes of death specific to men in Japan was suicide. In the last decade, the number of suicides committed by men in Japan remained roughly double the number of those committed by women. While close to half of the suicides in Japan were committed due to health reasons in previous years, the number of suicides owning to work-related problems has also become a serious social issue in the current Japanese society. One of the reasons behind it is said to be the working condition of employees in Japan with a severe workload. The government has been aiming to reduce working hours and overtime to improve the working conditions of workers in Japan.

In 2022, the number of fatalities in Japan caused by ******************* amounted to approximately ***** thousand, making cancerous tumors the most common cause of death in Japan. In that year, the total number of deaths in Japan reached around **** million cases. Age-related health issues are increasing in Japan Japan has one of the healthiest populations, with one of the highest average life expectancies worldwide. However, paired with a declining fertility rate, this leads to a demographic shift in the country. Accordingly, the aging population is facing more age-related health issues while the overall number of deaths keeps rising. The aging of the population also causes further issues such as labor shortages in several industries, including the healthcare sector, as well as an increasing number of patients in need of long-term care and support. The demographic development will evoke pressure on governmental spending but also bring opportunities for service providers and related industries. Cancer remains the leading cause of death Next to malignant neoplasms, several other types of cancer, such as stomach, pancreas, and colon cancer, rank among the leading causes of death in Japan. Even though the overall estimated number of cancer cases has been growing in Japan, the survival chances have been increasing significantly over the past decade.One of the reasons for the higher survival chances is the rising awareness around the topic, which leads Japanese people to use prevention measures such as cancer screening. Furthermore, there have been advances in the field of medical treatments and medication for cancer. Accordingly, oncology drugs were the pharmaceuticals with the highest production value recently.

This statistic shows the 20 countries * with the lowest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 1.5 out of 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Slovenia and Singapore in 2024. Infant mortality Infant mortality rates are often used as an indicator of the health and well-being of a nation. Monaco, Iceland, and Japan are among the top three countries with the lowest infant mortality rates with around 2 infant deaths per 1,000 infants within their first year of life. Generally, the countries with the lowest infant mortality also have some of the highest average life expectancy figures. Additionally, the countries with the highest density of physicians and doctors also generally report low infant mortality. Yet, many different factors contribute to differing rates, including the overall income of a country, health spending per capita, a mother’s level of education, environmental conditions, and medical infrastructure, to name a few. This creates a lot of variation concerning the level of childbirth and infant care around the world. The countries with the highest rates of infant mortality include Afghanistan, Mali, and Somalia. These countries experience around 100 infant deaths per 1,000 infants in their first year of life. While the reasons for high rates of infant mortality are numerous, the leading causes of death for children under the year five around the world are Pneumonia, Diarrhea, and Prematurity.

In Italy, approximately ******* deaths were registered in 2022. According to the data, ischemic heart diseases were the most common cause of death in the country, with ****** cases registered, closely followed by cerebrovascular diseases. COVID-19 was the third illness causing the largest number of deaths in Italy. COVID-19 death comorbidities Most patients admitted to the hospital and later deceased with the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection showed one or more comorbidities. Hypertension was the most common pre-existing health condition, detected in **** percent of patients who died after contracting the virus. Type 2-diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and atrial fibrillation were also among the most common comorbidities in COVID-19 patients who lost their lives. Cancer deaths The number of people who died from a tumor in Italy decreased constantly between 2006 and 2021. Indeed, the rate of deaths due to cancer among Italians dropped from **** deaths per 10,000 inhabitants in 2006 to **** in 2021. The Italian region with the highest cancer mortality rate was Campania, followed by Sardinia, and Sicily.

In 2024, the 50- to 59-year-old age group had the highest suicide rate in Japan, with **** suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The self-inflicted death rate among young people under 20 years was ***. Japan's recent suicide rates While the country's suicide rate had initially shown a downward trend in the most recent decade, 2020 marked the first year that the suicide numbers rose again. The COVID-19 pandemic likely caused this unexpected upward trend. From a gender perspective, Japanese men were more likely to commit suicide than women. **** deaths per 100,000 male inhabitants were reported in 2024, compared to a female suicide rate of **** in the same year. What are the reasons behind Japan’s high suicide rates?  Many factors are being blamed for the Japan's high suicide rates, including bullying, isolation, and a lack of a proficient mental healthcare system. Among others, financial worries and problems directly related to work have been one of the main reasons for self-inflicted deaths in the past years. Historically, the country's high suicide rates have been closely linked to the economic situation of the individuals. Japan’s suicide numbers peaked in 2009 when the country experienced its worst recession since World War II.

Estimates for the total death count of the Second World War generally range somewhere between 70 and 85 million people. The Soviet Union suffered the highest number of fatalities of any single nation, with estimates mostly falling between 22 and 27 million deaths. China then suffered the second greatest, at around 20 million, although these figures are less certain and often overlap with the Chinese Civil War. Over 80 percent of all deaths were of those from Allied countries, and the majority of these were civilians. In contrast, 15 to 20 percent were among the Axis powers, and the majority of these were military deaths, as shown in the death ratios of Germany and Japan. Civilian deaths and atrocities It is believed that 60 to 67 percent of all deaths were civilian fatalities, largely resulting from war-related famine or disease, and war crimes or atrocities. Systematic genocide, extermination campaigns, and forced labor, particularly by the Germans, Japanese, and Soviets, led to the deaths of millions. In this regard, Nazi activities alone resulted in 17 million deaths, including six million Jews in what is now known as The Holocaust. Not only was the scale of the conflict larger than any that had come before, but the nature of and reasoning behind this loss make the Second World War stand out as one of the most devastating and cruelest conflicts in history. Problems with these statistics Although the war is considered by many to be the defining event of the 20th century, exact figures for death tolls have proven impossible to determine, for a variety of reasons. Countries such as the U.S. have fairly consistent estimates due to preserved military records and comparatively few civilian casualties, although figures still vary by source. For most of Europe, records are less accurate. Border fluctuations and the upheaval of the interwar period mean that pre-war records were already poor or non-existent for many regions. The rapid and chaotic nature of the war then meant that deaths could not be accurately recorded at the time, and mass displacement or forced relocation resulted in the deaths of many civilians outside of their homeland, which makes country-specific figures more difficult to find. Early estimates of the war’s fatalities were also taken at face value and formed the basis of many historical works; these were often very inaccurate, but the validity of the source means that the figures continue to be cited today, despite contrary evidence.

In comparison to Europe, estimate ranges are often greater across Asia, where populations were larger but pre-war data was in short supply. Many of the Asian countries with high death tolls were European colonies, and the actions of authorities in the metropoles, such as the diversion of resources from Asia to Europe, led to millions of deaths through famine and disease. Additionally, over one million African soldiers were drafted into Europe’s armies during the war, yet individual statistics are unavailable for most of these colonies or successor states (notably Algeria and Libya). Thousands of Asian and African military deaths went unrecorded or are included with European or Japanese figures, and there are no reliable figures for deaths of millions from countries across North Africa or East Asia. Additionally, many concentration camp records were destroyed, and such records in Africa and Asia were even sparser than in Europe. While the Second World War is one of the most studied academic topics of the past century, it is unlikely that we will ever have a clear number for the lives lost in the conflict.

In 2023, the estimated number of people reported missing or killed by natural disasters amounted to around **. The highest number was recorded in 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan. Both the earthquake and the following tsunami destroyed many Japanese cities and caused a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture.  Natural disasters in Japan Since Japan is situated along the Ring of Fire, an area where several tectonic plates meet, it is exposed to a variety of natural disasters. Major earthquakes occur regularly, making the island nation vulnerable to tsunamis due to its oceanic setting. Furthermore, typhoons are likely to approach the archipelago, usually between July and October during the peak of the typhoon season. Tropical cyclones often cause heavy rainfall and flooding.  Damage caused by natural disasters In recent years, typhoons represented the most common cause of damaged facilities. Since the overall number of typhoons increased over the past decade, the amount of damage caused by flooding increased as well. The Japanese government spends a large amount of its disaster risk management budget on disaster reconstruction as well as disaster prevention.

In 2024, over 20,300 people in Japan died of suicide. The overall number of suicides decreased after the unexpected upward trend, likely connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. Why Japanese men are more likely to die by suicide  When looking at suicide numbers by gender, Japanese men are more likely to commit suicide compared to women. Attitudes on traditional gender roles in Japan may have shifted in recent decades, but social change has since been slow. Men are still expected to focus on their careers and provide for the family. Hence, economic slumps are typically reflected in rising suicide figures among men, as failure to fulfill social expectations can lead to mental health issues, which in turn might trigger suicidal thoughts. As an example, the suicide figures increased only for men in 2009 as a result of the global banking crisis. Suicide resulting from work-related issues is also more common among men than among women. Stress and pressure at work pose health risks It has been determined over the past few decades that one of the primary issues facing Japanese workers that leads to self-harm is exhaustion. Occupational sudden mortality, known as "karoshi (death by overwork)" is a well-known phenomenon in Japanese society. Besides physical pressure, mental stress from the employment may cause karoshi. Suicide due to occupational stress or overwork is called "karojisatsu (overwork suicide)" in Japan.

In 2023, the cancer mortality risk for men in Japan aged 39 years and younger stood at around 0.2, while the lifetime risk reached 24.7 percent. In other words, one in four Japanese men was estimated to die of cancer.

According to a government survey conducted in Japan in 2023, 81.6 percent of respondents answered that they are afraid of cancer because there is a possibility of dying from cancer. 62.6 percent of respondents reported they are afraid of cancer because cancer itself or its treatment can cause symptoms such as pain.

In fiscal year 2023, 125,372 people underwent health check-ups in Japan. The figure increased compared to 123,861 people in the previous year.

In 2023, the cancer mortality risk for women in Japan aged 39 years and younger stood at around 0.2, while the lifetime risk reached around 17.2 percent. In other words, one in six Japanese women was estimated to die of cancer.

Between 1953 and 2021, the death rate of the United Kingdom fluctuated between a high of 12.2 deaths per 1,000 people in 1962 and a low of 8.7 in 2011. From 2011 onwards, the death rate creeped up slightly and, in 2020, reached 10.3 deaths per 1,000 people. In 2021, the most recent year provided here, the death rate was ten, a decline from 2020 but still higher than in almost every year in the twenty-first century. The recent spike in the death rate corresponds to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with the first cases recorded in early 2020. Most deaths since 1918 in 2020 In 2020, there were around 689,600 deaths in the United Kingdom, the highest in more than a century. Although there were fewer deaths in 2021, at almost 667,500, this was still far higher than in recent years. When looking at the weekly deaths in England and Wales for this time period, two periods stand out for reporting far more deaths than usual. The first period was between weeks 13 and 22 of 2020, which saw two weeks in late April report more than 20,000 deaths. Excess deaths for the week ending April 17, 2020, were 11,854 and 11,539 for the following week. Another wave of deaths occurred in January 2021, when there were more than 18,000 deaths per week between weeks three and five of that year. Improvements to life expectancy slowing Between 2020 and 2022, life expectancy in the United Kingdom was approximately 82.57 years for women and 78.57 years for men. Compared with life expectancy in 1980/82, this marked an increase of around six years for women and almost eight years for men. Despite these long-term developments, improvements to life expectancy have been slowing in recent years and have even declined since 2017/19. As of 2023, the country with the highest life expectancy in the World was Switzerland at 84.2 years, followed by Japan at 84.1 years, and then by Spain at 84 years.

In 2024, the number of general clinical oncologists in Japan was highest in Tokyo, with 2,684, making it the prefecture with the highest number of oncologists. The prefecture with the second-highest number was Osaka, with 1,674 oncologists.

As of April 2024, the highest number of oncologists in Japan by department was in the Surgical Society, with around 7.6 thousand oncologists. The second-highest number was in the Internal Medicine Society, with almost 4.4 thousand oncologists.

The number of cancer cases among children in Japan was estimated to stay at around 2,000 cases. The figure was estimated to decrease to 1,000 cases by 2050.

In 2024, the estimated number of cancer cases diagnosed in men amounted to around 558.3 thousand. The projected number of cancer cases of women was much lower in that year.

As of April 2024, out of 18,907 oncologists in Japan, 18,240 were general clinical oncologists. Additionally, there were 667 dental and oral oncologists.

According to a government survey conducted in Japan in 2023, 52.5 percent of respondents answered that they would receive cancer immunotherapy if their doctor recommended it. 31.9 percent of respondents thought it was difficult to judge which information on cancer immunotherapy is accurate.

In 2023, three defendants received a final judgment of death sentences at a court in Japan. Seven people were sentenced to death in 2014 and 2016, the highest number in the last decade.