Ages 50–69 years

1400.0M people globally · Stable trend

The age group where chronic disease dominates. Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for nearly two-thirds of all deaths between 50 and 69. Decades of accumulated risk factors — smoking, diet, sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress — reach their critical mass. This is also the age group with the widest gap between rich and poor countries.

Deaths / year

15,000,000

Deaths / day

41,096

Deaths / hour

1,712

Deaths / second

0.48

Share of all global deaths

24%

15,000,000 of 62,000,000 total deaths

Death rate

10.7 per 1,000 people per year

Population: 1,400,000,000

Leading Causes of Death

Key Facts

Nearly 1 in 4 global deaths occur in the 50-69 age group
Cancer is the leading cause of death in high-income countries for this age group
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries for this age group
A 50-year-old who adopts 5 healthy habits can add 12-14 years to their life expectancy
The death rate for 50-69 year olds varies 5x between the healthiest and least healthy countries

Global trend

Stable

Share of world population

17.1%