In 2019, the leading causes of death worldwide were ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That year, ischemic heart disease and stroke accounted for a combined ** percent of all deaths worldwide. Although the leading causes of death worldwide vary by region and country, heart disease is a consistent leading cause of death regardless of income, development, size, or location. Heart disease In 2019, around **** million people worldwide died from ischemic heart disease. In comparison, around **** million people died from lung cancer that year, while *** million died from diabetes. The countries with the highest rates of death due to heart attack and other ischemic heart diseases are Lithuania, Russia, and Slovakia. Although some risk factors for heart disease, such as age and genetics, are unmodifiable, the likelihood of developing heart disease can be greatly reduced through a healthy lifestyle. The biggest modifiable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, an unhealthy diet, being overweight, and a lack of exercise. In 2019, it was estimated that around *** million deaths worldwide due to ischemic heart disease could be attributed to smoking. The leading causes of death in the United States Just as it is the leading cause of death worldwide, heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2023, heart disease accounted for ** percent of all deaths in the United States. Cancer was the second leading cause of death in the U.S. that year, followed by accidents. As of 2023, the odds that a person in the United States will die from heart disease is * in *. However, rates of death due to heart disease have actually declined in the U.S. over the past couple decades. From 2000 to 2022, there was a *** percent decline in heart disease deaths. On the other hand, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease saw an increase of *** percent over this period. Alzheimer’s disease is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for **** deaths per 100,000 population in 2023.

In 2021, the leading causes of death worldwide were ischemic heart disease, COVID-19, and stroke. That year, ischemic heart disease caused over nine million deaths, while COVID-19 resulted in 8.7 million deaths. In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the leading causes of death worldwide were ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In 2019, the leading causes of death globally included ischemic heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There were **** million deaths from ischemic heart disease at that time and about **** million deaths caused by stroke. In recent history, increases in life expectancy, increases in population and better standards of living have changed the leading causes of death over time. Non-Communicable Disease Deaths The number of deaths due to non-communicable diseases has remained relatively stable in recent years. A large majority of non-communicable or chronic disease deaths globally are caused by cardiovascular diseases, followed by cancer. Various lifestyle choices cause or exacerbate many of these chronic diseases. Drinking, smoking and lack of exercise can contribute to higher rates of non-communicable diseases and early death. It is estimated that the relative risk of death before the age of 65 was ** times greater among those that smoked and never quit. Infectious Disease Deaths Trends indicate that the number of deaths due to infectious diseases have decreased in recent years. However, infectious diseases still disproportionately impact low- and middle-income countries. In 2021, tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS were still among the leading causes of death in low-income countries. However, the leading causes of death in upper income countries are almost exclusively non-communicable, chronic conditions.

This dataset presents the age-adjusted death rates for the 10 leading causes of death in the United States beginning in 1999. Data are based on information from all resident death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia using demographic and medical characteristics. Age-adjusted death rates (per 100,000 population) are based on the 2000 U.S. standard population. Populations used for computing death rates after 2010 are postcensal estimates based on the 2010 census, estimated as of July 1, 2010. Rates for census years are based on populations enumerated in the corresponding censuses. Rates for non-census years before 2010 are revised using updated intercensal population estimates and may differ from rates previously published. Causes of death classified by the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10) are ranked according to the number of deaths assigned to rankable causes. Cause of death statistics are based on the underlying cause of death. SOURCES CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data (see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov). REFERENCES National Center for Health Statistics. Vital statistics data available. Mortality multiple cause files. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm. Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Curtin SC, and Arias E. Deaths: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics reports; vol 66. no. 6. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_06.pdf.

Data for deaths by leading cause of death categories are now available in the death profiles dataset for each geographic granularity.

The cause of death categories are based solely on the underlying cause of death as coded by the International Classification of Diseases. The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury." It is a single value assigned to each death based on the details as entered on the death certificate. When more than one cause is listed, the order in which they are listed can affect which cause is coded as the underlying cause. This means that similar events could be coded with different underlying causes of death depending on variations in how they were entered. Consequently, while underlying cause of death provides a convenient comparison between cause of death categories, it may not capture the full impact of each cause of death as it does not always take into account all conditions contributing to the death.

Cause of death categories for years 1999 and later are based on tenth revision of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Comparable categories are provided for years 1979 through 1998 based on ninth revision (ICD-9) codes. For more information on the comparability of cause of death classification between ICD revisions see Comparability of Cause-of-death Between ICD Revisions.

The global landscape of mortality has undergone significant changes from 1990 to 2021, but cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. In 2021, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 28.6 percent of all deaths, followed by cancers at 14.6 percent. Notably, COVID-19 emerged as the third leading cause of death in 2021, responsible for 11.6 percent of global fatalities. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The emergence of COVID-19 as a major cause of death underscores the profound impact of the pandemic on global health. By May 2023, the virus had infected over 687 million people worldwide and claimed nearly 6.87 million lives. The United States, India, and Brazil were among the most severely affected countries. The pandemic's effects extended beyond direct mortality, influencing healthcare systems and potentially exacerbating other health conditions. Shifts in global health priorities While infectious diseases like COVID-19 have gained prominence, long-term health trends reveal significant progress in certain areas. The proportion of neonatal deaths decreased from 6.4 percent in 1990 to 2.7 percent in 2021, reflecting improvements in maternal and child health care. However, challenges persist in addressing malnutrition and hunger, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Global Hunger Index 2024 identified Somalia, Yemen, and Chad as the countries most affected by hunger and malnutrition, highlighting the ongoing need for targeted interventions in these regions.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

In 2021, ischemic heart disease and COVID-19 were the leading causes of death worldwide, reaching around 114 and 110 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. This statistic shows the rates of the 10 leading causes of death around the world in 2021.

BackgroundGlobal and regional projections of mortality and burden of disease by cause for the years 2000, 2010, and 2030 were published by Murray and Lopez in 1996 as part of the Global Burden of Disease project. These projections, which are based on 1990 data, continue to be widely quoted, although they are substantially outdated; in particular, they substantially underestimated the spread of HIV/AIDS. To address the widespread demand for information on likely future trends in global health, and thereby to support international health policy and priority setting, we have prepared new projections of mortality and burden of disease to 2030 starting from World Health Organization estimates of mortality and burden of disease for 2002. This paper describes the methods, assumptions, input data, and results. Methods and FindingsRelatively simple models were used to project future health trends under three scenarios—baseline, optimistic, and pessimistic—based largely on projections of economic and social development, and using the historically observed relationships of these with cause-specific mortality rates. Data inputs have been updated to take account of the greater availability of death registration data and the latest available projections for HIV/AIDS, income, human capital, tobacco smoking, body mass index, and other inputs. In all three scenarios there is a dramatic shift in the distribution of deaths from younger to older ages and from communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional causes to noncommunicable disease causes. The risk of death for children younger than 5 y is projected to fall by nearly 50% in the baseline scenario between 2002 and 2030. The proportion of deaths due to noncommunicable disease is projected to rise from 59% in 2002 to 69% in 2030. Global HIV/AIDS deaths are projected to rise from 2.8 million in 2002 to 6.5 million in 2030 under the baseline scenario, which assumes coverage with antiretroviral drugs reaches 80% by 2012. Under the optimistic scenario, which also assumes increased prevention activity, HIV/AIDS deaths are projected to drop to 3.7 million in 2030. Total tobacco-attributable deaths are projected to rise from 5.4 million in 2005 to 6.4 million in 2015 and 8.3 million in 2030 under our baseline scenario. Tobacco is projected to kill 50% more people in 2015 than HIV/AIDS, and to be responsible for 10% of all deaths globally. The three leading causes of burden of disease in 2030 are projected to include HIV/AIDS, unipolar depressive disorders, and ischaemic heart disease in the baseline and pessimistic scenarios. Road traffic accidents are the fourth leading cause in the baseline scenario, and the third leading cause ahead of ischaemic heart disease in the optimistic scenario. Under the baseline scenario, HIV/AIDS becomes the leading cause of burden of disease in middle- and low-income countries by 2015. ConclusionsThese projections represent a set of three visions of the future for population health, based on certain explicit assumptions. Despite the wide uncertainty ranges around future projections, they enable us to appreciate better the implications for health and health policy of currently observed trends, and the likely impact of fairly certain future trends, such as the ageing of the population, the continued spread of HIV/AIDS in many regions, and the continuation of the epidemiological transition in developing countries. The results depend strongly on the assumption that future mortality trends in poor countries will have a relationship to economic and social development similar to those that have occurred in the higher-income countries.

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.

Azerbaijan Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data was reported at 90.248 % in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 88.196 % for 2015. Azerbaijan Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 86.578 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 90.248 % in 2019 and a record low of 76.055 % in 2000. Azerbaijan Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Azerbaijan – Table AZ.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Non-communicable diseases include cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, skin diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and congenital anomalies.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

Bolivia BO: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data was reported at 72.676 % in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 70.254 % for 2015. Bolivia BO: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 67.435 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 72.676 % in 2019 and a record low of 53.198 % in 2000. Bolivia BO: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Non-communicable diseases include cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, skin diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and congenital anomalies.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

Historical chart and dataset showing World death rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Chile CL: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data was reported at 7.763 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.805 % for 2015. Chile CL: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 8.094 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.078 % in 2000 and a record low of 7.763 % in 2019. Chile CL: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Injuries include unintentional and intentional injuries.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

Costa Rica CR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data was reported at 10.879 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.597 % for 2015. Costa Rica CR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 11.716 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.142 % in 2000 and a record low of 10.879 % in 2019. Costa Rica CR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Injuries include unintentional and intentional injuries.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

Cambodia KH: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data was reported at 23.034 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 27.078 % for 2015. Cambodia KH: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 30.154 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.752 % in 2000 and a record low of 23.034 % in 2019. Cambodia KH: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Cambodia – Table KH.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions include infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory infections, and nutritional deficiencies such as underweight and stunting.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

This statistic shows the percentage changes in selected causes of death due to diseases in the United States, between 2000 and 2022. The number of deaths caused by prostate cancer increased by 7.4 percent during this period. Changes in selected causes of deathThere has been a decrease in the rate of death caused by many diseases, including stroke and heart disease. However, the mortality rate due to Alzheimer’s disease increased by 142 percent from 2000 to 2022. Alzheimer’s disease caused 27.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2023, making it the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Mortality rates due to different diseases vary by different factors, including race and ethnicity. For example, cancer is the leading cause of death among Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States, accounting for 22 percent of total deaths among this population, while heart disease is the leading cause of death among the white population. Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for around nine million deaths in 2021. In the early 1900's, the mortality rate was primarily concentrated among people of younger ages, but increasingly, this has shifted to older population groups. In recent years, decreased mortality rates are often linked to improved medical care, such as new developments in medical technologies. Shifts in lifestyle habits such as decreased smoking rates and healthier diets may also attribute to lower mortality rates.

This dataset contains counts of deaths for California counties based on information entered on death certificates. Final counts are derived from static data and include out-of-state deaths to California residents, whereas provisional counts are derived from incomplete and dynamic data. Provisional counts are based on the records available when the data was retrieved and may not represent all deaths that occurred during the time period. Deaths involving injuries from external or environmental forces, such as accidents, homicide and suicide, often require additional investigation that tends to delay certification of the cause and manner of death. This can result in significant under-reporting of these deaths in provisional data.

The final data tables include both deaths that occurred in each California county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence) and deaths to residents of each California county (by residence), whereas the provisional data table only includes deaths that occurred in each county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence). The data are reported as totals, as well as stratified by age, gender, race-ethnicity, and death place type. Deaths due to all causes (ALL) and selected underlying cause of death categories are provided. See temporal coverage for more information on which combinations are available for which years.

The cause of death categories are based solely on the underlying cause of death as coded by the International Classification of Diseases. The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury." It is a single value assigned to each death based on the details as entered on the death certificate. When more than one cause is listed, the order in which they are listed can affect which cause is coded as the underlying cause. This means that similar events could be coded with different underlying causes of death depending on variations in how they were entered. Consequently, while underlying cause of death provides a convenient comparison between cause of death categories, it may not capture the full impact of each cause of death as it does not always take into account all conditions contributing to the death.

Bahamas BS: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data was reported at 10.710 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.900 % for 2015. Bahamas BS: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 14.380 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29.158 % in 2000 and a record low of 10.710 % in 2019. Bahamas BS: Cause of Death: by Communicable Diseases & Maternal, Prenatal & Nutrition Conditions: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bahamas – Table BS.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions include infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory infections, and nutritional deficiencies such as underweight and stunting.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;

Argentina AR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data was reported at 5.709 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.212 % for 2015. Argentina AR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 6.060 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.993 % in 2000 and a record low of 5.709 % in 2019. Argentina AR: Cause of Death: by Injury: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Injuries include unintentional and intentional injuries.;Derived based on the data from Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020. Link: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death;Weighted average;