Critical illness can affect people across age groups and communities, with risks shaped by underlying conditions. The sections ahead break down how often major illnesses occur in the U.S.—from cancer and heart disease to chronic infections and chronic kidney disease. You’ll also see patterns in who is most at risk and how serious illness can bring financial strain, including cancer care costs and out-of-pocket burdens.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, 1 in 8 women and 1 in 9 men are expected to develop breast cancer (lifetime risk)
- In the United States, approximately 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over her lifetime
- In the United States, about 1 in 44 men will develop breast cancer over his lifetime
- In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death; 1 in 5 deaths (20%) are due to heart disease
- In the United States, about 805,000 people have a heart attack each year
- In the United States, about every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack
- In the United States, pneumonia and influenza cause about 56,000 deaths each year (CDC)
- In the United States, tuberculosis (TB) incidence was 2.0 cases per 100,000 in 2022
- In the United States, 7,860 people were diagnosed with TB in 2022
- In the United States, chronic kidney disease affects about 15% of adults
- In the United States, estimated 37 million adults have chronic kidney disease
- In the United States, about 90% of people with chronic kidney disease do not know they have it
- In the United States, 48% of adults with serious illness report that their illness had a financial impact (AHRQ/consumer)
- In the United States, 20% of adults say they had major financial difficulties due to medical care (AHRQ)
- The average cost of cancer care for a patient is $183,000 in direct medical costs (US)
Breast cancer and heart disease are common, and serious illness often brings major financial strain.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cancer And Incidence30 stats
01
In the United States, 1 in 8 women and 1 in 9 men are expected to develop breast cancer (lifetime risk)
02
In the United States, approximately 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over her lifetime
03
In the United States, about 1 in 44 men will develop breast cancer over his lifetime
04
In 2024, about 310,720 new breast cancer cases are expected in the United States
05
In 2024, about 42,250 deaths from breast cancer are expected in the United States
06
Worldwide, there were an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases in 2020
07
Worldwide, there were an estimated 10.0 million cancer deaths in 2020
08
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that in 2020 there were 28.4 million people living with cancer
09
In the United States, 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives
10
In the United States, about 1,958,310 new cancer cases are estimated in 2023
11
In the United States, about 609,820 cancer deaths are estimated in 2023
12
In the United States, 5-year relative survival for all cancer is 67%
13
In 2024, the estimated new cases of lung cancer in the United States are 234,030
14
In 2024, the estimated deaths from lung cancer in the United States are 125,070
15
Lung cancer is expected to account for 14% of new cancer cases and 25% of cancer deaths
16
In 2023, there were an estimated 66,040 new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer in the United States
17
In 2023, there were an estimated 19,610 deaths from oral cavity and pharynx cancer in the United States
18
In 2023, there were an estimated 79,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States among men
19
In 2023, there were an estimated 76,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States among women
20
In 2023, there were an estimated 52,980 deaths from colorectal cancer in men in the United States
21
In 2023, there were an estimated 44,940 deaths from colorectal cancer in women in the United States
22
In the United States, 1 in 23 people will develop pancreatic cancer
23
In the United States, about 60,430 people are expected to die from pancreatic cancer in 2024
24
In the United States, about 66,440 new cases of pancreatic cancer are expected in 2024
25
In the United States, 1 in 3 people are expected to develop some cancer during their lifetime
26
In the United States, cancer incidence varies by state, with highest incidence around 550 per 100,000 and lowest around 400 per 100,000 (age-adjusted rate)
27
The IARC “GLOBOCAN 2020” estimates 2.2 million new breast cancer cases worldwide in 2020 in more detailed tabulation
28
The IARC GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates 2.3 million new lung cancer cases worldwide in 2020 in detailed tabulation
29
The IARC GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates 1.8 million deaths from lung cancer worldwide in 2020 in detailed tabulation
30
The IARC GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates 2.3 million deaths from breast cancer worldwide in 2020 in detailed tabulation
Interpretation
Cancer And Incidence Interpretation
From a cancer incidence perspective, breast cancer is projected to affect about 1 in 8 women and 1 in 9 men in the United States, with roughly 310,720 new cases expected in 2024, while worldwide incidence reached an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases in 2020.
02 · Category
Cardiovascular Events29 stats
01
In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death; 1 in 5 deaths (20%) are due to heart disease
02
In the United States, about 805,000 people have a heart attack each year
03
In the United States, about every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack
04
In the United States, about every 34 seconds someone dies of cardiovascular disease
05
In the United States, about 1 in 4 deaths is due to cardiovascular disease
06
In the United States, about 795,000 people have a stroke each year
07
In the United States, stroke occurs about every 4 seconds
08
In the United States, 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime
09
In the United States, about 87% of strokes are ischemic
10
In the United States, about 13% of strokes are hemorrhagic
11
In the United States, there are about 147,000 deaths from stroke each year
12
In the United States, about 610,000 deaths from heart disease occur each year
13
In the United States, 1 in 4 deaths occur from heart disease
14
In the United States, an estimated 7.1 million people have coronary artery disease (CAD)
15
In the United States, about 3.2 million people have heart failure
16
In the United States, heart failure prevalence is about 1 in 9 people ages 65+
17
In the United States, 1 in 5 adults have high blood pressure
18
In the United States, about 48% of people with high blood pressure are not aware they have it
19
In the United States, 6% of adults have heart failure
20
Globally, cardiovascular diseases cause 17.9 million deaths annually (about one-third of all global deaths)
21
Globally, an estimated 32% of deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases
22
Globally, 2021 estimates indicate 15 million people suffer a stroke each year
23
Globally, about 23 million people die each year from noncommunicable diseases (all causes), and cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause among them
24
In the United Kingdom, there were 3,100 deaths per million population from stroke in 2017 (age-standardized)
25
In the UK, 1.0% of the population had coronary heart disease in 2019 (prevalence)
26
In Europe, coronary heart disease affects about 4% of the adult population
27
In the United States, the overall age-adjusted rate of stroke in 2020 was 38.6 per 10,000
28
In the United States, the overall age-adjusted rate of heart disease-related deaths in 2020 was 167.0 per 100,000
29
In the United States, 1.3 million deaths each year are due to all types of cancer, and heart disease is 1 of 3 deaths (context provided by CDC)
Interpretation
Cardiovascular Events Interpretation
Cardiovascular events are a major driver of critical illness in the US, with about 1 in 4 deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease and roughly 1 in 40 seconds resulting in a fatal cardiovascular death.
03 · Category
Infectious Diseases And Survival30 stats
01
In the United States, pneumonia and influenza cause about 56,000 deaths each year (CDC)
02
In the United States, tuberculosis (TB) incidence was 2.0 cases per 100,000 in 2022
03
In the United States, 7,860 people were diagnosed with TB in 2022
04
In the United States, 7,533 people died from TB in 2019 (global estimate)
05
In the United States, estimated HIV incidence in 2022 was 31,800 cases
06
In the United States, about 36,800 people died of HIV-related causes in 2021
07
In the United States, CDC estimates there were 1,058,800 persons living with HIV at end of 2022
08
In the United States, hepatitis C affects about 2.4 million people
09
In the United States, about 4.0 million people have chronic hepatitis B
10
In the United States, acute hepatitis B incidence was 1.9 per 100,000 in 2022
11
In the United States, chronic hepatitis B prevalence is around 0.3% of the population
12
In the United States, the CDC estimates 1.2 million people are infected with influenza each season
13
In the United States, there are about 18,000 influenza deaths each year
14
Globally, lower respiratory infections cause 2.6 million deaths in children under 5 years annually
15
Globally, tuberculosis was responsible for an estimated 1.3 million deaths in 2023
16
Globally, HIV is estimated to have caused about 630,000 deaths in 2023
17
Globally, malaria caused an estimated 608,000 deaths in 2022
18
Globally, there were 249 million malaria cases in 2022
19
Globally, measles caused about 136,000 deaths in 2023
20
Globally, there were about 9.2 million measles cases in 2019
21
In the United States, sepsis affects about 1.7 million adults each year
22
In the United States, sepsis results in about 270,000 deaths each year
23
In the United States, sepsis is diagnosed in roughly 1 in 3 hospitalizations
24
In the United States, CDC estimates 33.5 million adults have some form of diabetes, and diabetes increases risk of infections
25
In the United States, about 7.0 million adults have diabetes but are undiagnosed
26
In the United States, among patients with sepsis, mortality is about 24% (Sepsis Alliance estimate cited by CDC page)
27
In the United States, average 5-year survival for acute leukemia is around 50% (NCI SEER)
28
In the United States, average 5-year survival for lymphoma (non-Hodgkin) is around 72%
29
In the United States, average 5-year survival for melanoma is around 93%
30
Worldwide, 10 million people died from cancer in 2020 (survival depends on stage; included as survival context)
Interpretation
Infectious Diseases And Survival Interpretation
For the infectious diseases and survival angle, the data show that even though pneumonia and influenza cause about 56,000 deaths each year in the United States, tuberculosis still affected 7,860 people in 2022 and HIV-related deaths totaled about 36,800 in 2021, underscoring how persistent infections continue to drive significant survival losses.
More related reading
04 · Category
Renal, Neurologic, And Other Major Conditions30 stats
01
In the United States, chronic kidney disease affects about 15% of adults
02
In the United States, estimated 37 million adults have chronic kidney disease
03
In the United States, about 90% of people with chronic kidney disease do not know they have it
04
In the United States, end-stage kidney disease affects about 786,000 people
05
In the United States, about 3% of adults have end-stage kidney disease
06
In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 6.7 million people age 65 and older (2023)
07
In the United States, 1 in 10 people age 65+ has Alzheimer’s
08
In the United States, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is projected to rise to 13.8 million by 2050
09
Worldwide, 55 million people had dementia in 2019
10
Worldwide, dementia affects around 7.7 million new cases per year
11
Worldwide, dementia causes about 1.6% of all deaths
12
In the United States, multiple sclerosis affects about 1 million people
13
In the United States, about 74% of people with MS have relapsing-remitting MS at diagnosis
14
In the United States, Parkinson’s disease affects about 1 million people, and about 60,000 new cases per year are reported
15
Worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability-adjusted life years
16
Globally, 1 in 4 people in the United States have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? (CDC provides COPD prevalence: 6.5% adults)
17
In the United States, about 6.5% of adults have COPD
18
In the United States, more than 16 million adults have COPD
19
In the United States, COPD causes about 140,000 deaths each year
20
In the United States, asthma affects about 25 million people
21
In the United States, asthma prevalence is about 7.7% of people
22
Globally, chronic respiratory diseases account for 6% of all deaths
23
In the United States, diabetes affects about 38.4 million people (2021)
24
In the United States, 28.7 million diagnosed diabetes cases exist
25
In the United States, 9.3 million people have diabetes but are undiagnosed
26
In the United States, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death
27
In the United States, diabetes in 2021 cost an estimated $412.9 billion
28
In the United States, adults with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to die from heart disease
29
In the United States, about 10% of adults have chronic musculoskeletal conditions with high impact (NCHS/CDC)
30
In the United States, arthritis affects about 58.5 million adults (CDC)
Interpretation
Renal, Neurologic, And Other Major Conditions Interpretation
For the Renal, Neurologic, And Other Major Conditions category, the scale of chronic kidney disease is striking with 15% of US adults affected and 37 million people estimated to have it, while about 90% remain unaware, alongside Alzheimer’s impacting 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older.
05 · Category
Financial Impact And Insurance Use30 stats
01
In the United States, 48% of adults with serious illness report that their illness had a financial impact (AHRQ/consumer)
02
In the United States, 20% of adults say they had major financial difficulties due to medical care (AHRQ)
03
The average cost of cancer care for a patient is $183,000in direct medical costs (US)
04
The median out-of-pocket cost for cancer is $2,200per year (study)
05
In the United States, 1 in 5 adults report going without care because of cost (CDC)
06
In the United States, about 28% of adults report delaying care due to cost (CDC/BRFSS)
07
In the United States, households spend about 13% of their income on health care (CMS data)
08
In the United States, the National Health Expenditure (NHE) is projected to grow to $6.8 trillion in 2030
09
In the United States, NHE grew by 4.1% in 2023, reaching $4.6 trillion (CMS)
10
In the United States, out-of-pocket spending on health care was $2,367.2 billion in 2022
11
In the United States, total personal health care spending reached $4.8 trillion in 2022 (CMS)
12
In the United States, median annual out-of-pocket spending for those with employer insurance was $1,145in 2022 (KFF)
13
In the United States, medical out-of-pocket spending increases with age; older adults pay more (KFF)
14
In the United States, 44% of adults say they could not cover a $1,000 expense without borrowing or selling something (Federal Reserve)
15
In the United States, 29% of adults are unable to cover a $400 emergency expense (Federal Reserve)
16
In the United States, 1 in 6 adults have less than $1,000in savings (Federal Reserve)
17
In the United States, medical debt is the leading cause of debt among delinquent borrowers in one study (CFPB)
18
In the United States, 45% of people with medical debt have it because of unexpected medical bills (CFPB)
19
In the United States, 41% of Americans reported difficulty paying for medical bills (KFF survey)
20
In the United States, 23% reported that they or someone in the household delayed care because of costs (KFF)
21
In the United States, 24% of insured adults had out-of-pocket costs they could not afford in the last year (KFF)
22
In the United States, 18% of adults reported they used savings to pay medical bills (KFF)
23
In the United States, 10% of adults reported taking on credit card debt to pay medical bills (KFF)
24
In the United States, critical illness insurance market size is projected to reach $8.2B by 2028 (industry report)
25
In the United States, the number of people with supplemental insurance including critical illness is often reported in industry reports (A.M. Best)
26
In the United States, 2022 supplemental health insurance including accident and health (industry), share of households purchasing is not uniform (NAIC)
27
In the UK, life insurance coverage is about 55% of households (industry statistical)
28
In the UK, about 17% of adults have some form of critical illness cover (L&G/industry surveys)
29
In Canada, 1 in 4 workers report having no disability insurance (survey)
30
In the United States, 56% of adults would not be able to pay medical expenses for a month without borrowing (Health System)
Interpretation
Financial Impact And Insurance Use Interpretation
Across the Financial Impact And Insurance Use category, roughly 48% of US adults with serious illness report a financial impact and 20% say medical care caused major difficulties, while cancer alone averages $183,000 in direct costs and carries median out of pocket costs of $2,200 per year, helping explain why 1 in 5 adults go without care and about 28% delay care due to cost.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Critical Illness Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/critical-illness-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Critical Illness Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/critical-illness-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Critical Illness Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/critical-illness-statistics.
Sources & references
85 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+51 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)