Trending Causes of Death
Not all causes of death are moving in the same direction. Some are rising as populations age and lifestyles change. Others are falling as medicine, sanitation, and public health improve.
5
Causes rising
23.2M deaths/yr
11
Causes falling
41.9M deaths/yr
6
Causes stable
Rising — getting worse
These causes of death are killing more people now than they were a decade ago. Ageing populations, lifestyle changes, and new threats are driving the increase.
Cancer (all types)
A group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread.
10.0M
/ year
Deaths caused by hunger
Hunger and malnutrition kill approximately 9.
9.1M
/ year
Diabetes mellitus
A metabolic disease causing high blood sugar levels.
2.0M
/ year
Alzheimer's & dementia
Progressive neurological disorders that destroy memory and cognitive function.
1.5M
/ year
Deaths from drug overdose
Drug use disorders and overdoses kill approximately 600,000 people per year globally.
600.0K
/ year
Falling — getting better
These causes are killing fewer people than they were a decade ago. Vaccines, clean water, better healthcare access, and public health campaigns are saving lives.
Cardiovascular disease
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure.
18.6M
/ year
Deaths caused by smoking
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year.
8.0M
/ year
Deaths of children under 5
Approximately 4.
4.9M
/ year
Lower respiratory infections
Infections of the lungs including pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis.
2.6M
/ year
Neonatal conditions
Deaths occurring in the first 28 days of life, including birth asphyxia, preterm complications, and neonatal sepsis.
2.0M
/ year
Diarrhoeal diseases
Diseases causing severe dehydration through frequent watery stools.
1.5M
/ year
Deaths from unsafe water
Contaminated water and poor sanitation cause approximately 1.
1.4M
/ year
Tuberculosis
A bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs.
1.3M
/ year
Deaths by suicide
More than 720,000 people die by suicide every year — one person every 40 seconds.
720.0K
/ year
Deaths caused by HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS has claimed over 40 million lives since the epidemic began.
630.0K
/ year
Maternal deaths during childbirth
Approximately 287,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth — roughly 800 women every day.
287.0K
/ year
Stable — holding steady
These causes are neither rising nor falling significantly. Death rates have plateaued — progress has stalled or the cause is inherently tied to population size.
Deaths caused by air pollution
Air pollution kills an estimated 7 million people every year.
7.0M
/ year
Chronic respiratory disease
Chronic diseases of the airways and lung structures, including COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis.
3.9M
/ year
Deaths caused by alcohol
Alcohol is responsible for 3 million deaths every year — 5.
3.0M
/ year
Road injuries
Deaths from traffic crashes involving cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
1.4M
/ year
Deaths from seasonal flu
Seasonal influenza causes 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths each year.
650.0K
/ year
Deaths caused by malaria
Malaria kills approximately 620,000 people each year, with 95% of deaths occurring in Africa.
620.0K
/ year
Why some causes rise while others fall
The global pattern of death is shifting. Infectious diseases that once dominated — pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, HIV — are in decline, thanks to vaccines, antibiotics, clean water, and antiretroviral therapy. Child mortality has halved since 2000. Maternal deaths are falling. Even cardiovascular disease, the world's biggest killer, is slowly declining in rate.
But as fewer people die young, more live long enough to develop the diseases of ageing. Cancer, dementia, and diabetes are all rising — not because they are becoming more common per person, but because more people are reaching the ages where these conditions appear. The global population is getting older, and older populations die of different things.
Lifestyle factors add a second layer. Rising obesity rates are fuelling diabetes. The opioid crisis is driving drug overdose deaths. And hunger — one of the oldest killers — is rising again due to conflict, climate change, and food price inflation.
All causes at a glance
| Cause | Deaths / year | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular disease | 18.6M | Falling |
| Cancer (all types) | 10.0M | Rising |
| Deaths caused by hunger | 9.1M | Rising |
| Deaths caused by smoking | 8.0M | Falling |
| Deaths caused by air pollution | 7.0M | Stable |
| Deaths of children under 5 | 4.9M | Falling |
| Chronic respiratory disease | 3.9M | Stable |
| Deaths caused by alcohol | 3.0M | Stable |
| Lower respiratory infections | 2.6M | Falling |
| Neonatal conditions | 2.0M | Falling |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2.0M | Rising |
| Alzheimer's & dementia | 1.5M | Rising |
| Diarrhoeal diseases | 1.5M | Falling |
| Deaths from unsafe water | 1.4M | Falling |
| Road injuries | 1.4M | Stable |
| Tuberculosis | 1.3M | Falling |
| Deaths by suicide | 720.0K | Falling |
| Deaths from seasonal flu | 650.0K | Stable |
| Deaths caused by HIV/AIDS | 630.0K | Falling |
| Deaths caused by malaria | 620.0K | Stable |
| Deaths from drug overdose | 600.0K | Rising |
| Maternal deaths during childbirth | 287.0K | Falling |