Cancer accounted for nearly 610,000 deaths in the United States last year. This data details the leading causes, demographic disparities, and global scale of the disease.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, lung cancer caused 125,000 deaths in 2023.
- Breast cancer led to 42,170 deaths in US women in 2023.
- Colorectal cancer resulted in 52,550 deaths in the US in 2023.
- In the US, men aged 65-74 had the highest lung cancer mortality rate of 150 per 100,000 in 2021.
- US women aged 75+ experienced 120 breast cancer deaths per 100,000 in 2021.
- Black Americans had a cancer mortality rate of 184 per 100,000 vs 152 for whites in 2021.
- In 2022, cancer caused 10 million deaths globally, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths worldwide.
- Globally, 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, leading to 9.7 million deaths.
- Cancer accounted for 17% of all deaths worldwide in 2020, totaling 10 million fatalities.
- In the United States, 609,820 cancer deaths occurred in 2023.
- China reported 2.8 million cancer deaths in 2022.
- India had 1 million cancer deaths in 2022.
- From 1991-2021, US lung cancer deaths dropped 58% in men.
- Breast cancer mortality in US decreased 44% from 1989 to 2021.
- Global cancer deaths increased 77% from 2000 to 2022.
Lung cancer topped US deaths in 2023, while global cancer mortality continues rising despite some declines.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cancer Type21 stats
01
In the United States, lung cancer caused 125,000 deaths in 2023.
02
Breast cancer led to 42,170 deaths in US women in 2023.
03
Colorectal cancer resulted in 52,550 deaths in the US in 2023.
04
Prostate cancer caused 34,700 deaths in US men in 2023.
05
Pancreatic cancer led to 50,550 deaths in the US in 2023.
06
Liver and bile duct cancer caused 36,440 deaths in the US in 2023.
07
Leukemia resulted in 23,660 deaths in the US in 2023.
08
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma caused 20,140 deaths in the US in 2023.
09
Melanoma skin cancer led to 7,650 deaths in the US in 2023.
10
Kidney cancer caused 14,390 deaths in the US in 2023.
11
Bladder cancer resulted in 16,710 deaths in the US in 2023.
12
Brain and nervous system cancers caused 19,850 deaths in the US in 2023.
13
Thyroid cancer led to 2,110 deaths in the US in 2023.
14
Ovarian cancer caused 12,740 deaths in US women in 2023.
15
Uterine corpus cancer resulted in 12,670 deaths in the US in 2023.
16
Multiple myeloma led to 14,580 deaths in the US in 2023.
17
Stomach cancer caused 11,310 deaths in the US in 2023.
18
Esophageal cancer resulted in 16,500 deaths in the US in 2023.
19
Cervical cancer led to 4,310 deaths in US women in 2023.
20
Globally, lung cancer deaths were 18% of total cancer deaths in 2022.
21
In men, prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide with 400,000 deaths in 2022.
Interpretation
Cancer Type Interpretation
While lung cancer remains the grim reaper's blunt instrument of choice, these numbers reveal a more complex battlefield where even a 'rarer' cancer like pancreatic strikes with a swift and devastating precision that demands equal respect.
02 · Category
Demographics16 stats
01
In the US, men aged 65-74 had the highest lung cancer mortality rate of 150 per 100,000 in 2021.
02
US women aged 75+ experienced 120 breast cancer deaths per 100,000 in 2021.
03
Black Americans had a cancer mortality rate of 184 per 100,000 vs 152 for whites in 2021.
04
In the US, males had 192 cancer deaths per 100,000 compared to 146 for females in 2021.
05
Children under 15 had 1.9 cancer deaths per 100,000 in the US in 2021.
06
US Hispanics had lower cancer mortality at 124 per 100,000 vs 159 for non-Hispanics in 2021.
07
Rural US residents had 10% higher cancer death rates than urban in 2021.
08
In the UK, men over 85 had 3,500 cancer deaths per 100,000 in 2021.
09
US Asian/Pacific Islanders had prostate cancer mortality of 20 per 100,000 men in 2021.
10
American Indian/Alaska Native women had cervical cancer death rate of 9 per 100,000 in 2021.
11
In Australia, males aged 80-84 had lung cancer mortality of 400 per 100,000 in 2021.
12
Globally, 70% of cancer deaths occur in people over 65 years old.
13
Women worldwide have lower lung cancer death rates than men, 30 vs 50 per 100,000.
14
In low-income countries, cancer deaths peak at younger ages, median 60 years.
15
US cancer mortality declined 33% from 1991 to 2021, from 215 to 144 per 100,000.
16
Black males in US had highest overall cancer death rate of 228 per 100,000 in 2021.
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
The data paints a starkly inequitable portrait of cancer, where your survival odds are grimly wagered not just by your cells, but by your age, your gender, your address, and, most unjustly, the color of your skin.
03 · Category
Global30 stats
01
In 2022, cancer caused 10 million deaths globally, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths worldwide.
02
Globally, 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, leading to 9.7 million deaths.
03
Cancer accounted for 17% of all deaths worldwide in 2020, totaling 10 million fatalities.
04
From 2015 to 2040, global cancer deaths are projected to increase by 57% to 16 million annually.
05
In low- and middle-income countries, 70% of the 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2020 occurred.
06
Worldwide, tobacco use is responsible for 25% of cancer deaths, equating to 2.5 million deaths yearly.
07
Alcohol consumption contributes to 4.1% of all cancer deaths globally, approximately 410,000 deaths per year.
08
Infections such as HPV and hepatitis cause 13% of cancer deaths worldwide, or 1.3 million deaths annually.
09
Global cancer mortality rate in 2020 was 100 per 100,000 population.
10
Between 2000 and 2020, global cancer deaths rose by 40% to 10 million.
11
In 2022, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death globally with 1.8 million deaths.
12
Breast cancer caused 670,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
13
Colorectal cancer resulted in 630,000 global deaths in 2022.
14
Prostate cancer led to 400,000 deaths globally in 2022.
15
Stomach cancer accounted for 480,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
16
Liver cancer caused 760,000 deaths globally in 2022.
17
Pancreatic cancer resulted in 510,000 global deaths in 2022.
18
Oesophageal cancer led to 480,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
19
Cervical cancer caused 350,000 deaths globally in 2022.
20
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma resulted in 260,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
21
Leukemia caused 320,000 deaths globally in 2022.
22
Brain and CNS cancers led to 300,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
23
Kidney cancer accounted for 180,000 global deaths in 2022.
24
Bladder cancer caused 210,000 deaths globally in 2022.
25
Melanoma of skin resulted in 60,000 deaths worldwide in 2022.
26
Thyroid cancer led to 40,000 global deaths in 2022.
27
Globally, 55% of cancer deaths in 2020 occurred in Asia.
28
Europe saw 24% of worldwide cancer deaths in 2020, totaling 2.4 million.
29
The Americas accounted for 20% of global cancer deaths in 2020.
30
Africa had 5% of global cancer deaths in 2020, about 500,000 deaths.
Interpretation
Global Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of cancer tells a sobering joke: while humanity has become adept at counting its dead, with a sixth of all global deaths now attributed to this disease and the numbers climbing relentlessly, we remain tragically unskilled at counting the preventable causes—from tobacco and alcohol to infections and inequality—that fuel this quiet, global siege.
More related reading
04 · Category
Regional19 stats
01
In the United States, 609,820 cancer deaths occurred in 2023.
02
China reported 2.8 million cancer deaths in 2022.
03
India had 1 million cancer deaths in 2022.
04
Japan saw 410,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
05
Germany recorded 232,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
06
United Kingdom had 167,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
07
France reported 200,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
08
Brazil had 225,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
09
Russia saw 296,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
10
Italy recorded 180,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
11
In Australia, 44,000 cancer deaths occurred in 2022.
12
Canada had 86,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
13
South Korea reported 83,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
14
Mexico saw 103,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
15
Nigeria had 79,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
16
Egypt recorded 115,000 cancer deaths in 2022.
17
In Sub-Saharan Africa, age-standardized cancer mortality rate was 110 per 100,000 in 2020.
18
Western Europe had the highest cancer mortality rate at 150 per 100,000 in 2020.
19
Eastern Asia saw 160 cancer deaths per 100,000 population in 2020.
Interpretation
Regional Interpretation
Cancer is a global scourge, but these grim statistics reveal a starkly unequal battlefield where geography is often the deciding factor between life and a staggering number of deaths.
05 · Category
Trends18 stats
01
From 1991-2021, US lung cancer deaths dropped 58% in men.
02
Breast cancer mortality in US decreased 44% from 1989 to 2021.
03
Global cancer deaths increased 77% from 2000 to 2022.
04
In high-income countries, cancer mortality fell 29% from 1990 to 2019.
05
US colorectal cancer deaths declined 34% from 1999 to 2021.
06
Prostate cancer mortality in US dropped 53% from 1993 to 2021.
07
Globally, cervical cancer deaths decreased 10% from 2012 to 2022 due to HPV vaccines.
08
In China, liver cancer deaths fell 30% from 2008 to 2022 with hepatitis vaccination.
09
UK cancer mortality rate declined 24% from 1990 to 2021.
10
Pancreatic cancer deaths in US increased 10% from 2010 to 2021.
11
Global projections show cancer deaths rising to 12 million by 2030.
12
In low-HDI countries, cancer deaths expected to double by 2040.
13
US overall cancer incidence fell 5% from 2015 to 2021, aiding mortality drop.
14
From 2018-2040, global lung cancer deaths projected to increase 40%.
15
In Europe, cancer mortality projected to decline another 15% by 2030.
16
Tobacco control reduced global lung cancer deaths by 15% since 2000.
17
Screening programs cut US breast cancer mortality by 40% since 1980s.
18
In Japan, stomach cancer deaths halved from 1990 to 2022 due to H. pylori eradication.
Interpretation
Trends Interpretation
While wealthy nations celebrate hard-won victories against specific cancers, thanks to screening, vaccines, and treatments, the grim reality is that these gains are being catastrophically outpaced by a global surge driven by inequality and preventable causes.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Cancer Deaths Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cancer-deaths-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Cancer Deaths Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cancer-deaths-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Cancer Deaths Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cancer-deaths-statistics.
Sources & references
15 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level