Behind every staggering statistic—from the 7.61 global deaths per thousand to the 14.83 million lives lost to the pandemic—lies a universal truth we often avoid: understanding mortality is not about counting deaths, but about comprehending the life we have.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, the global all-cause age-standardized mortality rate was 529.5 deaths per 100,000 population according to WHO estimates
- The world crude death rate stood at 7.61 deaths per 1,000 people in 2020 per World Bank data
- United States all-cause mortality rate reached 8.79 per 1,000 in 2021 from CDC vital statistics
- Rural global all-cause rate was 612 per 100,000 age-standardized in 2019 per IHME
- Global age-standardized mortality rate from ischemic heart disease was 124.9 per 100,000 in 2019 per WHO
- Stroke mortality rate worldwide age-standardized was 72.3 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME GBD
- Global cancer age-standardized mortality rate was 101.4 per 100,000 in 2020 per IARC GLOBOCAN
- Lung cancer caused 1.8 million deaths globally in 2020 per IARC
- Breast cancer mortality worldwide 685,000 deaths in 2020 IARC
- Global COPD age-standardized mortality rate 41.3 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME
- Lower respiratory infections caused 2.6 million deaths globally 2019 IHME GBD
- Asthma mortality worldwide 495,000 deaths in 2019 per IHME
- Lower respiratory infections caused 2.5 million deaths globally in 2019 per WHO
- HIV/AIDS mortality worldwide 690,000 deaths in 2022 per UNAIDS
- Tuberculosis deaths 1.18 million globally excluding HIV in 2022 WHO
Global mortality patterns reveal significant differences across diseases, demographics, and regions worldwide.
All-Cause Mortality
- In 2019, the global all-cause age-standardized mortality rate was 529.5 deaths per 100,000 population according to WHO estimates
- The world crude death rate stood at 7.61 deaths per 1,000 people in 2020 per World Bank data
- United States all-cause mortality rate reached 8.79 per 1,000 in 2021 from CDC vital statistics
- Global life expectancy at birth implied mortality led to 72.6 years average in 2019 per UN data
- Infant mortality rate worldwide was 28.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 according to UNICEF
- Age-standardized all-cause mortality rate for males globally was 651.4 per 100,000 in 2019 from IHME GBD
- Female global all-cause age-standardized mortality rate was 426.9 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME
- Under-5 mortality rate dropped to 37.7 per 1,000 live births globally in 2022 per WHO
- Neonatal mortality rate globally was 17 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 from UNICEF
- Maternal mortality ratio worldwide averaged 223 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 per WHO
- Global probability of dying between ages 30-70 from any cause was 19.4% in 2019 per WHO
- Excess mortality globally during COVID-19 2020-2021 was estimated at 14.83 million deaths by WHO
- U.S. age-adjusted all-cause death rate was 835.4 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC NVSS
- European Union all-cause crude mortality rate was 10.3 per 1,000 in 2022 from Eurostat
- Japan's all-cause mortality rate was 11.96 per 1,000 in 2022 per World Bank
- India's crude death rate increased to 7.3 per 1,000 in 2020 per World Bank
- Brazil's all-cause mortality rate was 7.99 per 1,000 in 2021 per World Bank
- Nigeria's crude death rate was 12.6 per 1,000 in 2020 per World Bank
- Global all-cause deaths totaled 55.4 million in 2017 per IHME GBD 2019
- U.S. total all-cause deaths were 3,464,231 in 2021 from CDC
- World all-cause mortality for ages 0-14 was 5.3 million deaths in 2019 per WHO
- Adult mortality rate (15-59) globally for males was 207 per 1,000 in 2019 per UN
- Female adult mortality rate (15-59) worldwide was 128 per 1,000 in 2019 per UN
- Global gap in healthy life expectancy due to mortality was 4.5 years in 2019 per WHO
- U.S. all-cause mortality rate for non-Hispanic whites was 879.7 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Black non-Hispanic U.S. all-cause rate was 1,024.5 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Hispanic U.S. all-cause mortality was 736.3 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Asian U.S. all-cause rate was 599.2 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Global rural all-cause mortality higher by 15% than urban in 2019 per WHO
- Urban global all-cause age-standardized rate was 492 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME
All-Cause Mortality Interpretation
Despite significant global health advances, the stubborn persistence of vastly different mortality rates by age, sex, race, and geography reveals a world where the lottery of birth—not just biological fate—remains a powerful, and often grim, determinant of when your number is up.
Cardiovascular Mortality
- Rural global all-cause rate was 612 per 100,000 age-standardized in 2019 per IHME
- Global age-standardized mortality rate from ischemic heart disease was 124.9 per 100,000 in 2019 per WHO
- Stroke mortality rate worldwide age-standardized was 72.3 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME GBD
- U.S. cardiovascular disease death rate was 240.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted in 2021 per CDC
- Global hypertensive heart disease mortality was 12.5 per 100,000 age-standardized in 2019 per WHO
- Cardiomyopathy and myocarditis caused 2.4 million deaths globally in 2019 per IHME
- Atrial fibrillation and flutter mortality globally 0.29 million deaths in 2019 per IHME
- Endocarditis deaths worldwide totaled 663,000 in 2019 per IHME GBD
- Aortic aneurysm mortality global 184,000 deaths in 2019 per IHME
- Global CVD deaths accounted for 17.9 million or 32% of all deaths in 2019 per WHO
- Ischemic heart disease was top CVD killer with 8.9 million deaths globally 2019 per WHO
- Stroke caused 6.6 million deaths worldwide in 2021 per WHO updates
- U.S. heart disease deaths 695,000 in 2021 per CDC
- U.S. stroke deaths 160,264 in 2021 per CDC NVSS
- Male global IHD mortality rate 171.2 per 100,000 age-std in 2019 per IHME
- Female global IHD rate 88.9 per 100,000 age-std 2019 IHME
- CVD mortality in low-income countries 18.5 million deaths in 2019 per WHO
- High-income countries CVD deaths 4.6 million in 2019 per WHO
- China CVD deaths 4.8 million in 2019 per IHME GBD
- India CVD mortality 2.1 million deaths 2019 IHME
- U.S. Black CVD age-adjusted rate 296.2 per 100,000 in 2021 CDC
- White U.S. CVD rate 244.6 per 100,000 age-adj 2021 CDC
- Global under-70 CVD mortality rate 13% probability per WHO
- IHD age-std rate declined 30% globally 1990-2019 per IHME
- Stroke mortality declined 25% globally 1990-2019 IHME
- U.S. CVD death rate fell 10% from 2019-2020 per CDC
- Europe CVD mortality rate 193.3 per 100,000 age-std 2019 IHME
- Sub-Saharan Africa CVD rate 141.7 per 100,000 age-std 2019 IHME
Cardiovascular Mortality Interpretation
While cardiovascular disease claims a third of all lives globally, making it the grimly efficient top killer, progress is being made – a fact we should take to heart before we lose ours.
Communicable Diseases Mortality
- Lower respiratory infections caused 2.5 million deaths globally in 2019 per WHO
- HIV/AIDS mortality worldwide 690,000 deaths in 2022 per UNAIDS
- Tuberculosis deaths 1.18 million globally excluding HIV in 2022 WHO
- Diarrhoeal diseases mortality 1.5 million deaths 2019 IHME
- Malaria caused 619,000 deaths mostly Africa 2021 WHO
- Measles deaths 128,000 globally mostly children 2019 WHO
- Meningitis mortality 234,000 deaths worldwide 2019 IHME
- Hepatitis deaths 1.1 million globally 2019 WHO
- Neglected tropical diseases 95,000 deaths 2019 IHME GBD
- Syphilis deaths 137,000 globally 2019 IHME
- Whooping cough 151,000 deaths worldwide 2019 IHME
- Diphtheria mortality low 1,000 deaths global 2019 IHME
- Tetanus deaths 49,000 globally 2019 IHME GBD
- Global communicable diseases 10 million deaths 2019 mostly LRI diarrhea IHME
- HIV deaths declined 51% since 2004 peak per UNAIDS 2022
- TB mortality down 20% 2015-2022 but stalled WHO
- Malaria deaths fell 12% 2019-2021 WHO
- Africa 94% of malaria deaths 627,000 in 2021 WHO
- Children under 5: 76% of malaria deaths 2021 WHO
- Global neonatal infections sepsis 377,000 deaths 2019 IHME
- Sexually transmitted infections excl HIV 376,000 deaths 2019 IHME
- Acute hepatitis A deaths 28,000 global 2019 IHME
- Hepatitis B acute/chronic 356,000 deaths 2019 IHME
Communicable Diseases Mortality Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of preventable suffering continues to tally in the millions, yet the undeniable, hard-fought progress in our battle against diseases like HIV and malaria proves that these numbers are not an immutable fate, but a call to action we are slowly, yet surely, answering.
Neoplasms Mortality
- Global cancer age-standardized mortality rate was 101.4 per 100,000 in 2020 per IARC GLOBOCAN
- Lung cancer caused 1.8 million deaths globally in 2020 per IARC
- Breast cancer mortality worldwide 685,000 deaths in 2020 IARC
- Colorectal cancer deaths 930,000 globally 2020 per GLOBOCAN
- Prostate cancer mortality 375,000 deaths worldwide 2020 IARC
- Liver cancer caused 830,000 deaths globally in 2020 per IARC
- Stomach cancer deaths 769,000 worldwide 2020 GLOBOCAN
- Global total cancer deaths 10 million in 2020 per WHO/IARC
- U.S. cancer death rate age-adjusted 146.5 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Pancreatic cancer mortality 466,000 global deaths 2020 IARC
- Leukemia deaths 309,000 worldwide 2020 per GLOBOCAN
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality 259,000 global 2020 IARC
- Oesophagus cancer deaths 544,000 in 2020 worldwide per IARC
- Cervical cancer mortality 604,000 deaths globally 2020 IARC
- Cancer caused 18% of all global deaths in 2020 per IARC
- Male global cancer mortality rate 136.7 per 100,000 age-std 2020 IARC
- Female cancer mortality 92.3 per 100,000 age-std globally 2020 IARC
- U.S. lung cancer deaths 125,348 in 2021 per CDC
- Breast cancer U.S. deaths 42,170 women in 2021 CDC
- Colorectal cancer U.S. mortality 52,980 deaths 2021 CDC
- Prostate cancer U.S. deaths 34,500 in 2021 per CDC
- Cancer mortality in low HDI countries rising faster per IARC
- Global cancer mortality projected to 10 million in 2020 actual per IARC
- Europe cancer age-std mortality 112.3 per 100,000 2020 IARC
- Asia cancer mortality rate 89.5 per 100,000 age-std 2020 IARC
- Africa cancer rate 83.7 per 100,000 age-std mortality 2020 IARC
Neoplasms Mortality Interpretation
Cancer may not be humanity's most efficient executioner—it takes eighteen different types and ten million lives a year to claim that grim title—but its relentless, universal campaign makes it our most formidable and intimate enemy.
Respiratory Mortality
- Global COPD age-standardized mortality rate 41.3 per 100,000 in 2019 per IHME
- Lower respiratory infections caused 2.6 million deaths globally 2019 IHME GBD
- Asthma mortality worldwide 495,000 deaths in 2019 per IHME
- Pneumoconiosis deaths global 113,000 in 2019 IHME
- U.S. COPD death rate 41.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted 2021 CDC
- Global lung diseases from air pollution 6.7 million deaths indirectly 2019 per WHO
- Pneumonia mortality in children under 5: 740,000 deaths 2019 WHO
- U.S. influenza and pneumonia deaths 53,544 in 2021 CDC NVSS
- Global trachea, bronchus, lung other respiratory deaths part of neoplasms but LRI separate
- Cystic fibrosis mortality low but 10,000 global deaths est 2019 IHME
- Interstitial lung disease deaths 392,000 globally 2019 IHME
- U.S. respiratory disease total deaths 169,207 in 2021 CDC
- Global respiratory infections mortality higher in males 1.5 million vs 1.1 million 2019 IHME
- Female LRI mortality 1.1 million deaths 2019 IHME
- COPD deaths 3.2 million globally 2019 mostly older adults IHME
- China respiratory mortality high 1.2 million LRI deaths 2019 IHME
- India LRI deaths 377,000 in 2019 IHME GBD
- Sub-Saharan Africa LRI mortality rate 112 per 100,000 age-std 2019 IHME
- Europe COPD mortality 36.8 per 100,000 age-std 2019 IHME
- Global other respiratory diseases 1.4 million deaths 2019 IHME
- U.S. Black respiratory mortality higher 65.2 per 100,000 COPD CDC
- Smoking-attributable respiratory deaths 1.8 million COPD global 2019 WHO
- Respiratory mortality declined 18% globally 1990-2019 IHME
- Global LRI rate down 45% since 1990 per IHME GBD 2019
Respiratory Mortality Interpretation
The grim, collective sigh of our planet is a respiratory one, reminding us that every preventable breath lost to pollution, infection, or neglect is a tragic, and often man-made, failure to cherish the very air we share.
Sources & References
- Reference 1WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 2DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 3CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 4POPULATIONpopulation.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 5DATAdata.unicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 6HEALTHDATAhealthdata.orgVisit source
- Reference 7ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 8VIZHUBvizhub.healthdata.orgVisit source
- Reference 9GCOgco.iarc.who.intVisit source
- Reference 10PUBLICATIONSpublications.iarc.frVisit source
- Reference 11GCOgco.iarc.frVisit source
- Reference 12IARCiarc.who.intVisit source
- Reference 13UNAIDSunaids.orgVisit source