How Many People Die From Oesophageal Cancer Every Year
Oesophageal cancer kills about 445,000 people a year, around 1,200 a day. Squamous vs adenocarcinoma, reflux, hot drinks, survival and UK and US figures.
Picture a retired bus driver in the north of England who has had heartburn for as long as he can remember. He keeps a packet of antacids in every coat pocket. Over the summer, something new starts happening: bread and meat seem to stick halfway down his chest, and he has to wash each mouthful down with water. He tells himself he is just eating too fast. By the time he sees his GP, he has lost almost a stone without trying.
That pattern, a long history of reflux followed by food sticking and unexplained weight loss, is the classic story of oesophageal cancer in Britain. It is a cancer that is usually found late, it is hard to treat once it has spread, and the UK has one of the highest rates of it in Europe. Worldwide, it is part of the roughly 170,000 deaths a day you can follow on our live death counter.
The headline number: about 445,000 deaths a year
According to GLOBOCAN 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer's global cancer estimates, there were 511,054 new cases of oesophageal cancer and 445,391 deaths worldwide in 2022. Roughly three quarters of both cases and deaths were in Asia.
| Time period | Oesophageal cancer deaths worldwide |
|---|---|
| Per year | about 445,400 |
| Per month | about 37,100 |
| Per week | about 8,600 |
| Per day | about 1,220 |
| Per hour | about 51 |
| Per minute | about 0.85 |
That is one death from oesophageal cancer roughly every 71 seconds.
| Measure (GLOBOCAN 2022) | Oesophageal cancer |
|---|---|
| New cases | 511,054 |
| Deaths | 445,391 |
| Rank among cancers by new cases | 11th |
| Rank among cancers by deaths | 7th |
| Share of all cancer deaths | about 4.6% |
| Deaths per 100 new cases | about 87 |
The gap between the two rankings tells the story. Oesophageal cancer is not one of the most common cancers, but it is one of the deadliest per case. The previous GLOBOCAN edition, for 2020, estimated about 544,000 deaths; the lower 2022 figure partly reflects updated data sources and methods, so the two editions should not be compared directly. For the full list of cancers, see how many people die from cancer every day and our cancer cause page.
Two different cancers with one name
The oesophagus, or food pipe, is the muscular tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach. Two main types of cancer start there, and they behave almost like different diseases with different causes and geographies.
| Squamous cell carcinoma | Adenocarcinoma | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it starts | Flat cells lining the upper and middle oesophagus | Glandular cells near the stomach, at the lower end |
| Share of cases worldwide | around 85% | most of the remainder |
| Main risk factors | Smoking, alcohol, very hot drinks, poor diet | Acid reflux, Barrett's oesophagus, obesity, smoking |
| Where it is most common | Asia's "oesophageal cancer belt", East Africa | UK, Netherlands, Ireland, US, Australia |
| Trend in rich countries | Falling | Rose sharply from the 1970s, now levelling off |
In most of the world, squamous cell carcinoma dominates. In the UK and other Western countries, adenocarcinoma is now the more common type, linked to the rise in obesity and long-term reflux.
The oesophageal cancer belt and East Africa
Squamous oesophageal cancer is clustered in two huge regions. The first is the so-called Asian oesophageal cancer belt, stretching from northern Iran through Central Asia into northern China. China alone accounts for a large share of the world's cases. The second is an East African corridor running through countries such as Kenya and Malawi, where it is one of the leading cancers in young and middle-aged adults.
| Region | Dominant type | Suspected drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Northern China | Squamous | Diet low in fruit and vegetables, hot food and drink, historic food contamination |
| Northern Iran (Golestan) | Squamous | Very hot tea, opium use, poor diet |
| East Africa | Squamous | Hot drinks, alcohol, smoke exposure, poor diet; still being researched |
| Western Europe, North America | Adenocarcinoma | Reflux, obesity, smoking |
Do hot drinks really cause cancer?
In 2016, IARC classified drinking very hot beverages, above 65°C, as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A), based on studies of oesophageal cancer. The concern is the temperature, not the drink: the same review found no conclusive evidence that coffee itself causes cancer, as we explain in does coffee lower your risk of death. A large study in Golestan, Iran, later found that people who drank 700ml or more of tea a day at 60°C or above had about a 90% higher risk of oesophageal cancer. The simple advice: let tea and coffee cool for a few minutes before drinking.
Oesophageal cancer in the UK
Cancer Research UK reports around 7,900 deaths from oesophageal cancer a year in the UK (2022 to 2024), which makes it the seventh most common cause of cancer death. That is around 21 or 22 deaths a day in the United Kingdom, out of roughly 1,800 deaths a day from all causes.
| UK oesophageal cancer | Figure (Cancer Research UK) |
|---|---|
| New cases per year | about 9,500 |
| Deaths per year | about 7,900 |
| Deaths per day | about 21 to 22 |
| Rank among cancer deaths | 7th |
| Mortality rate since early 1970s | up 28% |
| Mortality rate over the last decade | down 12% |
| Deaths in people aged 75 and over | almost half |
| Cases considered preventable | 59% |
| Projected deaths per year by 2038 to 2040 | about 9,300 |
The UK has one of the highest rates of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the world. Why Britain in particular is still debated, but rising obesity, long-term acid reflux and a history of heavy smoking all play a part. Men are hit much harder than women. For context on how this fits into the wider UK picture, see leading causes of death in the UK.
Oesophageal cancer in the US
The American Cancer Society estimates about 22,530 new cases and 16,290 deaths from oesophageal cancer in the United States in 2026.
| US oesophageal cancer (ACS, 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| New cases | about 22,530 |
| Deaths | about 16,290 |
| Deaths in men | about 12,940 |
| Deaths in women | about 3,350 |
| Deaths per day | about 45 |
Men account for roughly four out of every five US deaths, one of the widest sex gaps of any cancer.
Survival: why it is found too late
The oesophagus can stretch. A tumour can narrow it a long way before food starts to stick, so by the time most people notice swallowing problems, the cancer has often spread into the wall or the lymph nodes.
| Stage at diagnosis (US, SEER 2015 to 2021) | Five-year relative survival |
|---|---|
| Localised (confined to the oesophagus) | 49% |
| Regional (spread to nearby tissue or nodes) | 28% |
| Distant (spread to far organs) | 5% |
| All stages combined | 22% |
In the UK, Cancer Research UK reports that only about 13% of people survive oesophageal cancer for 10 years or more. Survival has improved over the decades as surgery and chemotherapy have got better: five-year survival for men in England and Wales rose from around 4% in the early 1970s to about 16% by 2010 to 2011. But it remains among the lowest of any cancer, alongside pancreatic, liver and lung cancer.
The risk factors
| Risk factor | Type mainly affected | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Both | One of the biggest causes; risk falls after quitting |
| Alcohol | Squamous | Risk rises with every drink; combined with smoking it multiplies |
| Long-term acid reflux (GORD) | Adenocarcinoma | Repeated acid damage to the lower oesophagus |
| Barrett's oesophagus | Adenocarcinoma | Cell changes caused by reflux; a small fraction progress to cancer each year |
| Obesity | Adenocarcinoma | Raises pressure on the stomach and worsens reflux |
| Very hot drinks (above 65°C) | Squamous | IARC Group 2A, probably carcinogenic |
| Diet low in fruit and vegetables | Squamous | Especially important in the high-risk belts |
| Age and sex | Both | Mostly over 60, much more common in men |
Smoking and alcohol together are a particularly bad combination. Each one on its own raises the risk of squamous oesophageal cancer, but people who both smoke and drink heavily face a far higher risk than either habit alone would suggest. We compare the two in alcohol vs smoking: which kills more, and the wider tolls are on our smoking and alcohol pages.
Symptoms worth acting on
The NHS lists the main symptoms of oesophageal cancer as problems swallowing, feeling or being sick, heartburn or acid reflux, unexplained weight loss, a persistent cough or hoarse voice, and pain or discomfort in the throat or chest.
| Symptom | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Food sticking or difficulty swallowing | The most common sign; never normal at any age |
| Heartburn or indigestion most days for three weeks or more | Should be checked by a GP, especially if new |
| Unexplained weight loss | A warning sign for several cancers |
| Bringing food back up | Can mean the oesophagus is narrowed |
| Hoarse voice or cough that will not go away | Can come from a tumour pressing on nerves |
Most people with these symptoms do not have cancer. But because survival depends so heavily on how early it is found, the advice is simple: if food is sticking or heartburn has become a daily habit, see a doctor rather than another packet of antacids.
How oesophageal cancer deaths can be prevented
Because the biggest causes are habits and conditions that can be changed, a large share of oesophageal cancer is preventable. Cancer Research UK puts the figure at 59% of UK cases. The main levers are different for the two types.
| Action | Type it helps prevent | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping smoking | Both | Removes one of the strongest single causes |
| Drinking less alcohol | Squamous | Risk climbs with each drink, especially alongside smoking |
| Keeping to a healthy weight | Adenocarcinoma | Less pressure on the stomach means less reflux |
| Getting persistent reflux treated | Adenocarcinoma | Reduces repeated acid damage to the lower oesophagus |
| Monitoring for people with Barrett's oesophagus | Adenocarcinoma | Regular checks can find early changes that can be treated before they become cancer |
| Letting hot drinks cool | Squamous | Avoids repeated heat injury to the lining |
| Eating more fruit and vegetables | Squamous | Linked to lower risk in high-burden regions |
People who have been diagnosed with Barrett's oesophagus are usually offered regular endoscopies, a camera test that looks at the lining of the food pipe. If early cell changes are found, they can often be treated through the endoscope without major surgery. Researchers in the UK have also been testing simpler ways to find Barrett's oesophagus in people with long-term heartburn, such as a swallowable capsule on a string that collects cells as it is pulled back up, so that more people can be checked earlier and with less discomfort.
Quitting smoking has a bigger effect than any of these on its own. Our article on how many people die from smoking every day shows how much of the total cancer toll still comes from tobacco.
The bottom line
Oesophageal cancer kills around 445,000 people a year, about 1,220 a day, or one every 71 seconds. Most of those deaths are in Asia and East Africa, where squamous cell cancer linked to smoking, alcohol, diet and very hot drinks dominates. In the UK and other Western countries, the main type is adenocarcinoma, driven by reflux and obesity, and Britain has some of the highest rates in the world. Survival is still poor because the disease is usually found late, which is why swallowing problems and persistent heartburn should never be ignored. If you are curious how habits like smoking and drinking affect life expectancy in general, try our Death Clock.
While you were reading
This article takes around 12 minutes to read. In that time, roughly 10 people around the world died of oesophageal cancer. Across all causes, more than 1,400 people died in those same 12 minutes. You can watch the total climb in real time on our live death counter.
Sources: IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 (via Cancer Biology and Medicine, 2024); IARC press release on GLOBOCAN 2020 oesophageal cancer subtypes (Morgan et al., Gastroenterology, 2022); IARC Monographs volume 116 on drinking coffee, maté and very hot beverages (2016); Islami et al., International Journal of Cancer (2019), Golestan cohort; Cancer Research UK oesophageal cancer statistics (mortality 2022 to 2024, survival); American Cancer Society, Key statistics for esophageal cancer (2026) and esophageal cancer survival rates (SEER 2015 to 2021); NHS, Oesophageal cancer symptoms. All figures are rounded estimates and may differ slightly between sources and years. This article is for information only and is not medical advice. If you have symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, speak to your GP or doctor.
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