GITNUXREPORT 2026

Chronic Disease Statistics

Chronic diseases are a common and costly global health crisis.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

U.S. chronic diseases cost $4.5 trillion in 2022, 90% of healthcare spending.

Statistic 2

Diabetes costs the U.S. $412.9 billion annually in medical and indirect costs.

Statistic 3

Global NCD economic loss projected at $47 trillion over 2011-2030.

Statistic 4

Cancer costs EU €103 billion yearly in health and productivity losses.

Statistic 5

Heart disease and stroke cost U.S. $254 billion in 2021.

Statistic 6

Alzheimer's costs U.S. $360 billion in 2023, projected $1 trillion by 2050.

Statistic 7

COPD costs U.S. $49 billion annually.

Statistic 8

Obesity costs U.S. $173 billion yearly in medical costs.

Statistic 9

Hypertension costs U.S. $131 billion per year.

Statistic 10

CKD costs U.S. Medicare $114 billion annually.

Statistic 11

Arthritis costs U.S. $303 billion in 2021.

Statistic 12

Stroke costs U.S. $56 billion yearly.

Statistic 13

Mental health disorders cost global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity yearly.

Statistic 14

In India, diabetes costs 1.3% of GDP.

Statistic 15

UK cardiovascular disease costs £19 billion annually.

Statistic 16

Global cancer economic burden $1.16 trillion in 2010.

Statistic 17

Parkinson's costs U.S. $52 billion yearly.

Statistic 18

Osteoporosis costs EU €37 billion per year.

Statistic 19

Asthma costs global $1.5 trillion in DALYs lost.

Statistic 20

In Australia, chronic diseases cost $37 billion in 2023.

Statistic 21

Liver disease costs UK £258 million yearly in hospitalizations.

Statistic 22

Epilepsy costs U.S. $15.5 billion annually.

Statistic 23

Rheumatoid arthritis costs U.S. $39.2 billion yearly.

Statistic 24

Multiple sclerosis costs U.S. $28.3 billion per year.

Statistic 25

Chronic diseases account for 90% of the $4.1 trillion U.S. healthcare expenditures annually.

Statistic 26

NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.

Statistic 27

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing 695,000 people in 2021.

Statistic 28

Cancer caused 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020.

Statistic 29

Diabetes led to 1.5 million deaths in 2019 globally.

Statistic 30

COPD caused 3.23 million deaths in 2019 worldwide.

Statistic 31

Alzheimer's disease killed 119,399 people in the U.S. in 2021.

Statistic 32

Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, causing 6.55 million deaths in 2021.

Statistic 33

Chronic kidney disease caused 2.6 million deaths in low- and middle-income countries in 2021.

Statistic 34

In 2020, cardiovascular diseases caused 19.8 million deaths globally.

Statistic 35

Liver cirrhosis mortality rate is 14.7 per 100,000 globally.

Statistic 36

Rheumatoid arthritis contributes to 45,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Statistic 37

Hypertension caused 10.8 million deaths in 2019.

Statistic 38

Obesity-related cancers caused 300,000 deaths in the EU in 2017.

Statistic 39

Parkinson's disease mortality has increased by 181% since 1990 globally.

Statistic 40

Osteoporosis-related fractures lead to 861,000 deaths yearly worldwide.

Statistic 41

Depression contributes to over 800,000 suicides annually, many chronic cases.

Statistic 42

Epilepsy causes 125,000 new cases and thousands of deaths yearly in the U.S.

Statistic 43

Multiple sclerosis mortality rate is 2.5 per 100,000 in high-income countries.

Statistic 44

Asthma deaths total 455,000 globally per year.

Statistic 45

In the U.S., chronic lower respiratory diseases killed 142,342 in 2021.

Statistic 46

Diabetes complications cause 47% of diabetes deaths under age 70.

Statistic 47

Heart failure mortality is 50% within 5 years of diagnosis.

Statistic 48

Cancer survival rates vary, with lung cancer 5-year survival at 22% in U.S.

Statistic 49

CKD stage 5 has 20-50% annual mortality.

Statistic 50

Alzheimer's has a 10-year survival rate of 22% post-diagnosis.

Statistic 51

Stroke mortality in U.S. is 140,000 annually.

Statistic 52

Global NCD premature mortality target unmet, 18 million under 70 die yearly.

Statistic 53

Smoking causes 8 million deaths yearly, many from chronic diseases.

Statistic 54

Alcohol contributes to 3 million deaths, linked to chronic liver disease.

Statistic 55

Physical inactivity causes 3.2 million deaths annually worldwide.

Statistic 56

Unhealthy diet leads to 11 million deaths from NCDs yearly.

Statistic 57

Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths, exacerbating chronic respiratory diseases.

Statistic 58

In the United States, six in ten adults have at least one chronic disease, and four in ten adults have two or more.

Statistic 59

Globally, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 74% of all deaths worldwide, affecting 41 million people annually.

Statistic 60

In 2023, diabetes affected 537 million adults worldwide, projected to rise to 783 million by 2045.

Statistic 61

Cardiovascular diseases cause 17.9 million deaths each year, representing 32% of all global deaths.

Statistic 62

In the EU, 1.9 million people die annually from chronic diseases, with cancer and cardiovascular diseases leading.

Statistic 63

Approximately 29% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have diabetes, compared to 10% of those aged 45-64.

Statistic 64

Chronic kidney disease affects 1 in 7 U.S. adults, or about 37 million people.

Statistic 65

In low- and middle-income countries, 77% of premature NCD deaths occur under age 70.

Statistic 66

Obesity rates among U.S. adults reached 42.4% in 2017-2018, a key chronic disease risk.

Statistic 67

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias affect over 55 million people worldwide in 2020.

Statistic 68

In Canada, 22% of the population aged 12 and older reported having arthritis in 2017-2018.

Statistic 69

Hypertension affects 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 worldwide, with two-thirds in low- and middle-income countries.

Statistic 70

COPD prevalence is 6% globally, affecting 384 million people in 2019.

Statistic 71

In the UK, 7.6 million people live with heart and circulatory diseases.

Statistic 72

Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis caused 1.3 million deaths in 2017 globally.

Statistic 73

In Australia, 47% of adults had one or more chronic conditions in 2020-21.

Statistic 74

Osteoporosis affects 200 million women worldwide.

Statistic 75

In India, 101 million people have diabetes as of 2021.

Statistic 76

U.S. cancer prevalence among survivors is 18.2 million in 2022.

Statistic 77

Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1% of the global population.

Statistic 78

In Brazil, 5.5% of adults had diagnosed depression, a chronic mental health condition.

Statistic 79

Parkinson's disease affects 10 million people worldwide.

Statistic 80

In South Africa, 12.7% of adults have diabetes.

Statistic 81

Chronic back pain affects 619 million people globally.

Statistic 82

In Japan, 29.7% of adults are obese, contributing to chronic diseases.

Statistic 83

Epilepsy prevalence is 50 million people worldwide.

Statistic 84

In Germany, 25% of the population has hypertension.

Statistic 85

Multiple sclerosis affects 2.8 million people globally.

Statistic 86

In Mexico, 14.6% of adults have diabetes.

Statistic 87

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, affects 262 million people worldwide.

Statistic 88

80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes preventable by lifestyle changes.

Statistic 89

Smoking cessation reduces heart disease risk to non-smoker levels in 1 year.

Statistic 90

150 minutes weekly moderate exercise reduces chronic disease risk by 30%.

Statistic 91

Mediterranean diet lowers cardiovascular events by 30%.

Statistic 92

Blood pressure control prevents 75% of stroke cases.

Statistic 93

Statins reduce heart attack risk by 25-35% in high-risk patients.

Statistic 94

Diabetes management with metformin lowers complications by 30%.

Statistic 95

Vaccination prevents 2.2 million chronic disease-related deaths yearly.

Statistic 96

Weight loss of 5-10% reduces type 2 diabetes incidence by 58%.

Statistic 97

Screening detects 90% of colorectal cancers early, improving survival.

Statistic 98

Pulmonary rehab improves COPD quality of life by 20-30%.

Statistic 99

Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces depression relapse by 40%.

Statistic 100

Aspirin therapy prevents 1 in 4 heart attacks in high-risk.

Statistic 101

HPV vaccine prevents 90% of cervical cancers.

Statistic 102

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce heart failure hospitalizations by 30% in diabetics.

Statistic 103

Annual flu shots reduce COPD exacerbations by 40%.

Statistic 104

Self-monitoring blood glucose improves HbA1c by 0.5%.

Statistic 105

Multidisciplinary care reduces CKD progression by 25%.

Statistic 106

Tai Chi reduces arthritis pain by 40%.

Statistic 107

CPAP therapy cuts stroke risk by 50% in sleep apnea patients.

Statistic 108

Digital health tools improve adherence to 70% for hypertension meds.

Statistic 109

Plant-based diets lower cancer risk by 15-20%.

Statistic 110

Early Alzheimer's interventions slow progression by 30%.

Statistic 111

Quitlines double smoking cessation success rates.

Statistic 112

Community health workers reduce diabetes hospitalizations by 20%.

Statistic 113

Telemedicine improves chronic care access by 50% in rural areas.

Statistic 114

Tobacco use increases lung cancer risk by 15-30 times.

Statistic 115

Obesity raises type 2 diabetes risk by 7-12 times.

Statistic 116

Physical inactivity increases cardiovascular disease risk by 30%.

Statistic 117

High blood pressure is a risk factor for 50% of ischemic heart disease cases.

Statistic 118

Smoking causes 85% of lung cancers.

Statistic 119

Excessive alcohol intake increases liver cirrhosis risk by 5-fold.

Statistic 120

Family history doubles the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Statistic 121

Age over 45 increases diabetes risk significantly.

Statistic 122

African Americans have 60% higher diabetes risk than whites.

Statistic 123

Sedentary lifestyle raises hypertension risk by 30-50%.

Statistic 124

High sodium intake increases hypertension risk by 20%.

Statistic 125

Low fruit/vegetable intake contributes to 3.1 million deaths from CVD and cancer.

Statistic 126

Air pollution exposure increases COPD risk by 20-40%.

Statistic 127

Genetic factors account for 40-80% of hypertension heritability.

Statistic 128

Obesity increases osteoarthritis risk by 4-5 times.

Statistic 129

Smoking cessation reduces lung cancer risk by 50% after 10 years.

Statistic 130

High cholesterol raises heart attack risk by 2-3 times.

Statistic 131

Gestational diabetes increases future type 2 diabetes risk by 7 times.

Statistic 132

Stress contributes to 20% of hypertension cases.

Statistic 133

Poor sleep increases obesity risk by 55%.

Statistic 134

Secondhand smoke exposure raises heart disease risk by 25-30%.

Statistic 135

High BMI increases cancer risk by 30% across 13 types.

Statistic 136

Low socioeconomic status triples chronic disease risk.

Statistic 137

Urban living increases asthma risk by 20% due to pollution.

Statistic 138

Viral hepatitis increases liver cancer risk by 20-30 times.

Statistic 139

Chronic stress raises Alzheimer's risk by 20%.

1/139

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Imagine a world where, regardless of your country or continent, the greatest threat to your life isn't a sudden catastrophe, but a slow-burning, relentless force that is already embedded in the health of a staggering majority of the global population, as revealed by the stark reality that six in ten U.S. adults live with at least one chronic disease while these conditions claim a staggering 74% of all lives worldwide each year.

Key Takeaways

In the United States, six in ten adults have at least one chronic disease, and four in ten adults have two or more.
Globally, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 74% of all deaths worldwide, affecting 41 million people annually.
In 2023, diabetes affected 537 million adults worldwide, projected to rise to 783 million by 2045.
Chronic diseases account for 90% of the $4.1 trillion U.S. healthcare expenditures annually.
NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing 695,000 people in 2021.
Tobacco use increases lung cancer risk by 15-30 times.
Obesity raises type 2 diabetes risk by 7-12 times.
Physical inactivity increases cardiovascular disease risk by 30%.
U.S. chronic diseases cost $4.5 trillion in 2022, 90% of healthcare spending.
Diabetes costs the U.S. $412.9 billion annually in medical and indirect costs.
Global NCD economic loss projected at $47 trillion over 2011-2030.
80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes preventable by lifestyle changes.
Smoking cessation reduces heart disease risk to non-smoker levels in 1 year.
150 minutes weekly moderate exercise reduces chronic disease risk by 30%.

Chronic diseases are a common and costly global health crisis.

Economic Burden

U.S. chronic diseases cost $4.5 trillion in 2022, 90% of healthcare spending.
Diabetes costs the U.S. $412.9 billion annually in medical and indirect costs.
Global NCD economic loss projected at $47 trillion over 2011-2030.
Cancer costs EU €103 billion yearly in health and productivity losses.
Heart disease and stroke cost U.S. $254 billion in 2021.
Alzheimer's costs U.S. $360 billion in 2023, projected $1 trillion by 2050.
COPD costs U.S. $49 billion annually.
Obesity costs U.S. $173 billion yearly in medical costs.
Hypertension costs U.S. $131 billion per year.
CKD costs U.S. Medicare $114 billion annually.
Arthritis costs U.S. $303 billion in 2021.
Stroke costs U.S. $56 billion yearly.
Mental health disorders cost global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity yearly.
In India, diabetes costs 1.3% of GDP.
UK cardiovascular disease costs £19 billion annually.
Global cancer economic burden $1.16 trillion in 2010.
Parkinson's costs U.S. $52 billion yearly.
Osteoporosis costs EU €37 billion per year.
Asthma costs global $1.5 trillion in DALYs lost.
In Australia, chronic diseases cost $37 billion in 2023.
Liver disease costs UK £258 million yearly in hospitalizations.
Epilepsy costs U.S. $15.5 billion annually.
Rheumatoid arthritis costs U.S. $39.2 billion yearly.
Multiple sclerosis costs U.S. $28.3 billion per year.

Economic Burden Interpretation

Our global economy is hemorrhaging trillions to a predictable syndicate of chronic diseases, a staggering financial heist that makes bank robberies look like petty cash.

Mortality

Chronic diseases account for 90% of the $4.1 trillion U.S. healthcare expenditures annually.
NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing 695,000 people in 2021.
Cancer caused 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020.
Diabetes led to 1.5 million deaths in 2019 globally.
COPD caused 3.23 million deaths in 2019 worldwide.
Alzheimer's disease killed 119,399 people in the U.S. in 2021.
Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, causing 6.55 million deaths in 2021.
Chronic kidney disease caused 2.6 million deaths in low- and middle-income countries in 2021.
In 2020, cardiovascular diseases caused 19.8 million deaths globally.
Liver cirrhosis mortality rate is 14.7 per 100,000 globally.
Rheumatoid arthritis contributes to 45,000 deaths annually worldwide.
Hypertension caused 10.8 million deaths in 2019.
Obesity-related cancers caused 300,000 deaths in the EU in 2017.
Parkinson's disease mortality has increased by 181% since 1990 globally.
Osteoporosis-related fractures lead to 861,000 deaths yearly worldwide.
Depression contributes to over 800,000 suicides annually, many chronic cases.
Epilepsy causes 125,000 new cases and thousands of deaths yearly in the U.S.
Multiple sclerosis mortality rate is 2.5 per 100,000 in high-income countries.
Asthma deaths total 455,000 globally per year.
In the U.S., chronic lower respiratory diseases killed 142,342 in 2021.
Diabetes complications cause 47% of diabetes deaths under age 70.
Heart failure mortality is 50% within 5 years of diagnosis.
Cancer survival rates vary, with lung cancer 5-year survival at 22% in U.S.
CKD stage 5 has 20-50% annual mortality.
Alzheimer's has a 10-year survival rate of 22% post-diagnosis.
Stroke mortality in U.S. is 140,000 annually.
Global NCD premature mortality target unmet, 18 million under 70 die yearly.
Smoking causes 8 million deaths yearly, many from chronic diseases.
Alcohol contributes to 3 million deaths, linked to chronic liver disease.
Physical inactivity causes 3.2 million deaths annually worldwide.
Unhealthy diet leads to 11 million deaths from NCDs yearly.
Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths, exacerbating chronic respiratory diseases.

Mortality Interpretation

The human body's instruction manual apparently needs a critical update, as our own persistent habits are funding a global healthcare siege that claims three-quarters of us with grim, statistical precision.

Prevalence

In the United States, six in ten adults have at least one chronic disease, and four in ten adults have two or more.
Globally, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 74% of all deaths worldwide, affecting 41 million people annually.
In 2023, diabetes affected 537 million adults worldwide, projected to rise to 783 million by 2045.
Cardiovascular diseases cause 17.9 million deaths each year, representing 32% of all global deaths.
In the EU, 1.9 million people die annually from chronic diseases, with cancer and cardiovascular diseases leading.
Approximately 29% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have diabetes, compared to 10% of those aged 45-64.
Chronic kidney disease affects 1 in 7 U.S. adults, or about 37 million people.
In low- and middle-income countries, 77% of premature NCD deaths occur under age 70.
Obesity rates among U.S. adults reached 42.4% in 2017-2018, a key chronic disease risk.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias affect over 55 million people worldwide in 2020.
In Canada, 22% of the population aged 12 and older reported having arthritis in 2017-2018.
Hypertension affects 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 worldwide, with two-thirds in low- and middle-income countries.
COPD prevalence is 6% globally, affecting 384 million people in 2019.
In the UK, 7.6 million people live with heart and circulatory diseases.
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis caused 1.3 million deaths in 2017 globally.
In Australia, 47% of adults had one or more chronic conditions in 2020-21.
Osteoporosis affects 200 million women worldwide.
In India, 101 million people have diabetes as of 2021.
U.S. cancer prevalence among survivors is 18.2 million in 2022.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1% of the global population.
In Brazil, 5.5% of adults had diagnosed depression, a chronic mental health condition.
Parkinson's disease affects 10 million people worldwide.
In South Africa, 12.7% of adults have diabetes.
Chronic back pain affects 619 million people globally.
In Japan, 29.7% of adults are obese, contributing to chronic diseases.
Epilepsy prevalence is 50 million people worldwide.
In Germany, 25% of the population has hypertension.
Multiple sclerosis affects 2.8 million people globally.
In Mexico, 14.6% of adults have diabetes.
Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, affects 262 million people worldwide.

Prevalence Interpretation

From American couches to Indian clinics, the world is collectively hosting an unwanted and debilitating party where chronic disease is the grim guest of honor, crashing not just our later years but increasingly our prime, leaving no nation's healthcare system off the RSVP list for a crisis that is both deeply personal and universally staggering.

Prevention and Management

80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes preventable by lifestyle changes.
Smoking cessation reduces heart disease risk to non-smoker levels in 1 year.
150 minutes weekly moderate exercise reduces chronic disease risk by 30%.
Mediterranean diet lowers cardiovascular events by 30%.
Blood pressure control prevents 75% of stroke cases.
Statins reduce heart attack risk by 25-35% in high-risk patients.
Diabetes management with metformin lowers complications by 30%.
Vaccination prevents 2.2 million chronic disease-related deaths yearly.
Weight loss of 5-10% reduces type 2 diabetes incidence by 58%.
Screening detects 90% of colorectal cancers early, improving survival.
Pulmonary rehab improves COPD quality of life by 20-30%.
Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces depression relapse by 40%.
Aspirin therapy prevents 1 in 4 heart attacks in high-risk.
HPV vaccine prevents 90% of cervical cancers.
SGLT2 inhibitors reduce heart failure hospitalizations by 30% in diabetics.
Annual flu shots reduce COPD exacerbations by 40%.
Self-monitoring blood glucose improves HbA1c by 0.5%.
Multidisciplinary care reduces CKD progression by 25%.
Tai Chi reduces arthritis pain by 40%.
CPAP therapy cuts stroke risk by 50% in sleep apnea patients.
Digital health tools improve adherence to 70% for hypertension meds.
Plant-based diets lower cancer risk by 15-20%.
Early Alzheimer's interventions slow progression by 30%.
Quitlines double smoking cessation success rates.
Community health workers reduce diabetes hospitalizations by 20%.
Telemedicine improves chronic care access by 50% in rural areas.

Prevention and Management Interpretation

The sheer weight of these statistics screams that our bodies are not passive victims of fate but responsive partners, silently begging for the basic care we often withhold—a sobering truth wrapped in an urgent, wry invitation to simply do the obvious things we already know we should.

Risk Factors

Tobacco use increases lung cancer risk by 15-30 times.
Obesity raises type 2 diabetes risk by 7-12 times.
Physical inactivity increases cardiovascular disease risk by 30%.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for 50% of ischemic heart disease cases.
Smoking causes 85% of lung cancers.
Excessive alcohol intake increases liver cirrhosis risk by 5-fold.
Family history doubles the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Age over 45 increases diabetes risk significantly.
African Americans have 60% higher diabetes risk than whites.
Sedentary lifestyle raises hypertension risk by 30-50%.
High sodium intake increases hypertension risk by 20%.
Low fruit/vegetable intake contributes to 3.1 million deaths from CVD and cancer.
Air pollution exposure increases COPD risk by 20-40%.
Genetic factors account for 40-80% of hypertension heritability.
Obesity increases osteoarthritis risk by 4-5 times.
Smoking cessation reduces lung cancer risk by 50% after 10 years.
High cholesterol raises heart attack risk by 2-3 times.
Gestational diabetes increases future type 2 diabetes risk by 7 times.
Stress contributes to 20% of hypertension cases.
Poor sleep increases obesity risk by 55%.
Secondhand smoke exposure raises heart disease risk by 25-30%.
High BMI increases cancer risk by 30% across 13 types.
Low socioeconomic status triples chronic disease risk.
Urban living increases asthma risk by 20% due to pollution.
Viral hepatitis increases liver cancer risk by 20-30 times.
Chronic stress raises Alzheimer's risk by 20%.

Risk Factors Interpretation

The statistics paint a starkly personal ledger: while genetics loads the gun, our daily choices on what we eat, how we move, and what we breathe are overwhelmingly the fingers that pull the trigger on chronic disease.

Sources & References

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