Mortality Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Mortality Statistics

Recent global estimates put diabetes at 9.2 million deaths in 2019 and cancer at 675,000 deaths in the United States in 2021, but the bigger shock is how preventable risks still dominate the mortality picture, from air pollution at 8.8 million deaths worldwide in 2019 to unsafe WASH and tobacco adding over a million deaths each year. Use this page to compare leading causes across countries and time scales, including life expectancy, infant and under five mortality, and excess deaths, so you can see where progress is accelerating and where it is stalling.

45 statistics45 sources9 sections7 min readUpdated 9 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

8.8 million deaths in 2019 were due to air pollution (2.9 million from outdoor air pollution and 5.9 million from household air pollution), worldwide

Statistic 2

9.2 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to diabetes globally

Statistic 3

2.0 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to road traffic injuries globally

Statistic 4

7.1 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to lung cancer globally

Statistic 5

700,000 deaths in 2019 were attributed to accidental drowning globally

Statistic 6

5.9 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to household air pollution

Statistic 7

Stroke caused 6.55 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)

Statistic 8

Tuberculosis caused 1.4 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)

Statistic 9

Malaria caused 409,000 deaths in 2019 in WHO’s World Malaria Report estimates (WHO fact sheet)

Statistic 10

HIV/AIDS caused 690,000 deaths in 2021 (WHO fact sheet)

Statistic 11

In the United States, there were 3.28 million deaths in 2021 (CDC final data)

Statistic 12

In the United States, the age-adjusted death rate was 1,405.0 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2021 (CDC, all causes)

Statistic 13

In the United States, life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years in 2021 (CDC)

Statistic 14

In the United States, the infant mortality rate was 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 (NCHS)

Statistic 15

In South Africa, life expectancy at birth was 64.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)

Statistic 16

In China, crude death rate was 7.10 deaths per 1,000 population in 2022 (World Bank)

Statistic 17

In Brazil, neonatal mortality was 8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)

Statistic 18

The global under-five mortality rate fell from 93.0 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 37.0 per 1,000 in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)

Statistic 19

US maternal mortality increased from 15.1 deaths per 100,000 live births (2019) to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births (2022) according to NCHS

Statistic 20

In Canada, there were 319,000 deaths in 2022 (Statistics Canada)

Statistic 21

In Japan, there were 1,565,000 deaths in 2023 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)

Statistic 22

In Nigeria, under-five mortality rate was 111.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)

Statistic 23

Road traffic injuries caused 1.19 million deaths in 2019 (Global Health Observatory/WHO)

Statistic 24

Globally, in 2019, chronic kidney disease caused 1.3 million deaths (IHME GBD)

Statistic 25

In 2021, 675,000 US deaths were attributed to cancer (CDC)

Statistic 26

In 2021, 52,000 US deaths were attributed to influenza and pneumonia (CDC)

Statistic 27

201,000 maternal deaths occurred globally in 2020 (WHO/UNFPA/World Bank maternal mortality estimates via World Bank indicator SH.STA.MMRT)

Statistic 28

In 2021, 13.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (WHO Global TB Report 2022)

Statistic 29

In 2022, 12.0 million people with TB did not receive treatment (WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2023 estimate)

Statistic 30

In 2022, 52% of the global population had access to at least basic hygiene services (WHO/UNICEF JMP)

Statistic 31

In 2022, 20.5 million infants worldwide missed basic DTP vaccination (WHO/UNICEF estimates)

Statistic 32

In 2022, 11.3 million children under age 5 died from preventable causes according to WHO/UNICEF

Statistic 33

In 2022, 2.0 million newborn deaths occurred on the first day of life globally (WHO/UN IGME/UNICEF neonatal mortality reporting)

Statistic 34

Across 191 countries, excess mortality estimates for 2020–2021 averaged 17 excess deaths per 10,000 people (The Lancet modeling)

Statistic 35

COVID-19 accounted for about 14.9% of all deaths worldwide in 2021, based on excess mortality estimates by The Economist/WHO modeling

Statistic 36

In Italy, excess mortality in 2020 was estimated at 136,000 deaths above expected (ISTAT)

Statistic 37

COVID-19 excess mortality in 2020 was highest in Peru with around 118,000 excess deaths per the IHME Global Burden of Disease excess mortality estimates

Statistic 38

In 2022, the under-five mortality rate in Central and Southern Asia was 46 per 1,000 live births (UN IGME estimate).

Statistic 39

Approximately 1.6 million deaths per year were attributable to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) (WHO/UNICEF estimates).

Statistic 40

About 3.6 million deaths per year were attributable to air pollution exposure (WHO estimate for 2019).

Statistic 41

1.3 million deaths per year were attributable to tobacco use (WHO estimate).

Statistic 42

In 2022, the share of global health expenditure funded by government sources was about 55% (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database reporting summary).

Statistic 43

In 2022, an estimated 74% of births were attended by skilled health personnel globally (WHO/UNICEF estimate).

Statistic 44

In 2021, the US age-adjusted death rate (all causes) was 1,405.0 per 100,000 standard population (NCHS/CDC final).

Statistic 45

GBD 2021 used 4719 datasets for cause of death estimation (GBD 2021 Results paper).

Sources
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Leah Kessler

Written by Leah Kessler·Edited by Isabelle Moreau·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 13, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Mortality can look fixed until you line up the causes side by side and see how uneven the impact really is. In 2021, about 14.9% of all deaths worldwide were linked to COVID-19 based on excess mortality estimates, while stroke alone accounted for 6.55 million deaths in 2019, and household air pollution contributed 5.9 million. From under five mortality trends to US age adjusted death rates of 1,405.0 per 100,000 in 2021, this post puts the major drivers into one view so the patterns feel clearer than any single statistic.

Key Takeaways

  • 8.8 million deaths in 2019 were due to air pollution (2.9 million from outdoor air pollution and 5.9 million from household air pollution), worldwide
  • 9.2 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to diabetes globally
  • 2.0 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to road traffic injuries globally
  • Stroke caused 6.55 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)
  • Tuberculosis caused 1.4 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)
  • Malaria caused 409,000 deaths in 2019 in WHO’s World Malaria Report estimates (WHO fact sheet)
  • Globally, in 2019, chronic kidney disease caused 1.3 million deaths (IHME GBD)
  • In 2021, 675,000 US deaths were attributed to cancer (CDC)
  • In 2021, 52,000 US deaths were attributed to influenza and pneumonia (CDC)
  • 201,000 maternal deaths occurred globally in 2020 (WHO/UNFPA/World Bank maternal mortality estimates via World Bank indicator SH.STA.MMRT)
  • In 2021, 13.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (WHO Global TB Report 2022)
  • In 2022, 12.0 million people with TB did not receive treatment (WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2023 estimate)
  • Across 191 countries, excess mortality estimates for 2020–2021 averaged 17 excess deaths per 10,000 people (The Lancet modeling)
  • COVID-19 accounted for about 14.9% of all deaths worldwide in 2021, based on excess mortality estimates by The Economist/WHO modeling
  • In Italy, excess mortality in 2020 was estimated at 136,000 deaths above expected (ISTAT)

Worldwide, air pollution, major NCDs, and injuries drive millions of deaths while progress in child survival continues.

Related reading

Global Burden

18.8 million deaths in 2019 were due to air pollution (2.9 million from outdoor air pollution and 5.9 million from household air pollution), worldwide[1]
Directional
29.2 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to diabetes globally[2]
Directional
32.0 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to road traffic injuries globally[3]
Verified
47.1 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to lung cancer globally[4]
Single source
5700,000 deaths in 2019 were attributed to accidental drowning globally[5]
Verified
65.9 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to household air pollution[6]
Verified

Global Burden Interpretation

Under the Global Burden framing, the sheer scale of preventable exposures and diseases stands out as 8.8 million deaths worldwide in 2019 were linked to air pollution and 9.2 million were attributable to diabetes, making these two drivers a major share of global mortality.

Mortality Rates

1Stroke caused 6.55 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)[7]
Verified
2Tuberculosis caused 1.4 million deaths in 2019 globally (WHO)[8]
Single source
3Malaria caused 409,000 deaths in 2019 in WHO’s World Malaria Report estimates (WHO fact sheet)[9]
Verified
4HIV/AIDS caused 690,000 deaths in 2021 (WHO fact sheet)[10]
Verified
5In the United States, there were 3.28 million deaths in 2021 (CDC final data)[11]
Verified
6In the United States, the age-adjusted death rate was 1,405.0 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2021 (CDC, all causes)[12]
Verified
7In the United States, life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years in 2021 (CDC)[13]
Verified
8In the United States, the infant mortality rate was 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 (NCHS)[14]
Verified
9In South Africa, life expectancy at birth was 64.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)[15]
Verified
10In China, crude death rate was 7.10 deaths per 1,000 population in 2022 (World Bank)[16]
Directional
11In Brazil, neonatal mortality was 8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)[17]
Single source
12The global under-five mortality rate fell from 93.0 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 37.0 per 1,000 in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)[18]
Verified
13US maternal mortality increased from 15.1 deaths per 100,000 live births (2019) to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births (2022) according to NCHS[19]
Verified
14In Canada, there were 319,000 deaths in 2022 (Statistics Canada)[20]
Directional
15In Japan, there were 1,565,000 deaths in 2023 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)[21]
Verified
16In Nigeria, under-five mortality rate was 111.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 (UN IGME/UNICEF estimates)[22]
Directional
17Road traffic injuries caused 1.19 million deaths in 2019 (Global Health Observatory/WHO)[23]
Directional

Mortality Rates Interpretation

Mortality outcomes vary widely by cause and country, with global deaths from major infectious illnesses still at millions in 2019 while the global under-five mortality rate steadily dropped from 93.0 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 37.0 in 2022, showing a long term decline in mortality rates even as overall mortality remains uneven across regions.

More related reading

Cause Specific

1Globally, in 2019, chronic kidney disease caused 1.3 million deaths (IHME GBD)[24]
Verified
2In 2021, 675,000 US deaths were attributed to cancer (CDC)[25]
Directional
3In 2021, 52,000 US deaths were attributed to influenza and pneumonia (CDC)[26]
Single source

Cause Specific Interpretation

From a cause specific perspective, the burden of disease varies sharply by cause and location, with chronic kidney disease driving 1.3 million deaths worldwide in 2019 while in the United States in 2021 cancer accounted for 675,000 deaths and influenza and pneumonia for 52,000.

Healthcare Access

1201,000 maternal deaths occurred globally in 2020 (WHO/UNFPA/World Bank maternal mortality estimates via World Bank indicator SH.STA.MMRT)[27]
Verified
2In 2021, 13.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (WHO Global TB Report 2022)[28]
Verified
3In 2022, 12.0 million people with TB did not receive treatment (WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2023 estimate)[29]
Verified
4In 2022, 52% of the global population had access to at least basic hygiene services (WHO/UNICEF JMP)[30]
Verified
5In 2022, 20.5 million infants worldwide missed basic DTP vaccination (WHO/UNICEF estimates)[31]
Directional
6In 2022, 11.3 million children under age 5 died from preventable causes according to WHO/UNICEF[32]
Verified
7In 2022, 2.0 million newborn deaths occurred on the first day of life globally (WHO/UN IGME/UNICEF neonatal mortality reporting)[33]
Verified

Healthcare Access Interpretation

Despite some progress, in 2022 major gaps in healthcare access persist as 12.0 million people with tuberculosis did not receive treatment and 20.5 million infants missed basic DTP vaccination.

More related reading

Excess Mortality

1Across 191 countries, excess mortality estimates for 2020–2021 averaged 17 excess deaths per 10,000 people (The Lancet modeling)[34]
Verified
2COVID-19 accounted for about 14.9% of all deaths worldwide in 2021, based on excess mortality estimates by The Economist/WHO modeling[35]
Verified
3In Italy, excess mortality in 2020 was estimated at 136,000 deaths above expected (ISTAT)[36]
Verified
4COVID-19 excess mortality in 2020 was highest in Peru with around 118,000 excess deaths per the IHME Global Burden of Disease excess mortality estimates[37]
Single source

Excess Mortality Interpretation

Across 191 countries, excess mortality in 2020 to 2021 averaged 17 excess deaths per 10,000 people, and with COVID-19 responsible for about 14.9% of worldwide deaths in 2021, the figures show that the excess mortality category captures the broad, measurable death toll beyond reported counts.

Regional Differences

1In 2022, the under-five mortality rate in Central and Southern Asia was 46 per 1,000 live births (UN IGME estimate).[38]
Verified

Regional Differences Interpretation

In the Regional Differences context, Central and Southern Asia had an under-five mortality rate of 46 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, underscoring a substantial regional burden compared with other parts of the world.

More related reading

Risk & Patterns

1Approximately 1.6 million deaths per year were attributable to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) (WHO/UNICEF estimates).[39]
Single source
2About 3.6 million deaths per year were attributable to air pollution exposure (WHO estimate for 2019).[40]
Verified
31.3 million deaths per year were attributable to tobacco use (WHO estimate).[41]
Verified

Risk & Patterns Interpretation

In the Risk & Patterns category, preventable environmental and behavioral risks drive millions of deaths each year with unsafe WASH linked to about 1.6 million deaths, air pollution to around 3.6 million, and tobacco to 1.3 million, underscoring how persistent exposure patterns can concentrate mortality at large scale.

Policy & Health Systems

1In 2022, the share of global health expenditure funded by government sources was about 55% (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database reporting summary).[42]
Verified
2In 2022, an estimated 74% of births were attended by skilled health personnel globally (WHO/UNICEF estimate).[43]
Verified

Policy & Health Systems Interpretation

From a Policy and Health Systems perspective, government funding accounted for about 55% of global health expenditure in 2022 while about 74% of births were attended by skilled personnel, suggesting that policy-driven public financing plays a major role in supporting key health service coverage.

More related reading

Data & Methods

1In 2021, the US age-adjusted death rate (all causes) was 1,405.0 per 100,000 standard population (NCHS/CDC final).[44]
Single source
2GBD 2021 used 4719 datasets for cause of death estimation (GBD 2021 Results paper).[45]
Verified

Data & Methods Interpretation

From a Data and Methods perspective, the scale of evidence behind mortality estimates is clear because GBD 2021 built its findings on 4,719 datasets for causes of death while the US still recorded an age adjusted all cause death rate of 1,405.0 per 100,000 standard population in 2021.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Mortality Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mortality-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Mortality Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mortality-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Mortality Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mortality-statistics.

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