Cardiovascular diseases cause 17.9 million deaths each year and represent 32 percent of all global deaths. Figures for cancer, diabetes, and stroke show similar scale across chronic conditions. Broader counts of tuberculosis, malaria, and mental disorders highlight where the largest burdens remain concentrated.
Key Takeaways
- Cardiovascular diseases caused 17.9 million deaths in 2020, 32% of all global deaths
- In 2022, tuberculosis caused 1.3 million deaths globally, with 161,000 among HIV-positive people
- Maternal mortality ratio was 223 deaths per 100,000 live births globally in 2020
- Depression affects 3.8% of population, 5% women, 2.6% men
- 35.9 million tobacco users aged 15+ in 2022
Key public health data show steady improvements, but persistent gaps demand continued attention.
Related reading
01 · Category
Chronic Diseases25 stats
01
Cardiovascular diseases caused 17.9 million deaths in 2020, 32% of all global deaths
02
Cancers accounted for 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020
03
Diabetes led to 1.5 million direct deaths in 2019, plus 2.2 million from high blood glucose
04
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) killed 3.23 million in 2019
05
Stroke caused 6.6 million deaths in 2020
06
Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, 8.9 million in 2020
07
Chronic kidney disease resulted in 3 million deaths in 2020
08
Alzheimer's disease and dementia caused 1.8 million deaths in 2021
09
Hypertension affected 1.28 billion adults in 2018
10
Rheumatoid arthritis prevalence was 0.46% globally in 2019
11
Osteoarthritis affected 595 million people in 2020
12
Asthma impacted 262 million people, causing 455,000 deaths in 2019
13
Parkinson's disease had 8.5 million cases globally in 2019
14
Oral diseases affected 3.5 billion people in 2022
15
Liver cirrhosis caused 1.3 million deaths in 2019
16
Sickle cell disease affected 7.74 million with 376,000 deaths in 2021
17
Multiple sclerosis prevalence reached 2.8 million worldwide in 2020
18
Endometriosis impacted 190 million women globally
19
Gout prevalence was 2-4% in many countries in 2023
20
Psoriasis affected 2-3% of the global population
21
Systemic lupus erythematosus had 0.3-0.5% prevalence in women
22
Crohn's disease incidence rose 50% in recent decades
23
Ulcerative colitis affected 5 million worldwide
24
Fibromyalgia prevalence was 2-8% globally
25
Chronic fatigue syndrome affected up to 2.5 million in US alone
Interpretation
Chronic Diseases Interpretation
For chronic diseases, cardiovascular disease alone caused 17.9 million deaths in 2020, making up 32% of all global deaths and outpacing other major conditions like stroke at 6.6 million and cancers at 10 million.
02 · Category
Infectious Diseases30 stats
01
In 2022, tuberculosis caused 1.3 million deaths globally, with 161,000 among HIV-positive people
02
COVID-19 resulted in over 7 million confirmed deaths worldwide by mid-2023, with excess mortality estimated at 14.9 million
03
Malaria caused 608,000 deaths in 2022, primarily among children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa at 76%
04
HIV led to 630,000 deaths in 2022, down 69% from 2004 peak
05
Hepatitis B caused 1.1 million deaths in 2019, mostly from cirrhosis and liver cancer
06
Measles outbreaks in 2022 led to 136,000 deaths globally, mainly unvaccinated children
07
Dengue affected 6.5 million people in the Americas in 2023, with 970 deaths reported
08
Cholera cases surged to 535,821 in 2022 across 42 countries
09
Polio cases numbered 12 wild poliovirus type 1 in 2023, all in Afghanistan and Pakistan
10
Neglected tropical diseases like lymphatic filariasis affected 51 million in 2021
11
Influenza caused 290,000–650,000 respiratory deaths annually worldwide
12
Antimicrobial resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths in 2019
13
Leprosy diagnosed 127,000 new cases in 2022, with India accounting for 59%
14
Rabies killed 59,000 people yearly, 40% children under 15
15
Mpox cases exceeded 99,000 globally since 2022, with 366 deaths
16
Ebola outbreaks in 2023 reported 19 cases and 7 deaths in Uganda
17
Yellow fever cases reached 2,959 with 431 deaths in Africa and Americas in 2022
18
Nipah virus reported 17 human cases in 2023 in Bangladesh
19
Zika virus linked to 86 microcephaly cases in Americas post-2015
20
Buruli ulcer cases totaled 3,427 globally in 2022
21
Hepatitis C caused 290,000 deaths in 2019 from cirrhosis and liver cancer
22
Syphilis cases rose to 8 million globally in 2022
23
Gonorrhea incidence reached 82.4 million new cases in 2020 among 15-49 year olds
24
Chlamydia caused 128.5 million new cases globally in 2020
25
Pertussis (whooping cough) reported 151,000 cases in 2022
26
Diphtheria resurgence saw 4,480 cases in 2022, mostly Guinea
27
Meningococcal disease killed 32,000 newborns annually from sepsis/meningitis
28
Rotavirus caused 128,505 deaths in children under 5 in 2019
29
Norovirus led to 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths yearly
30
Hepatitis A incidence was 1.5 million cases globally in 2016
Interpretation
Infectious Diseases Interpretation
Infectious diseases remain a major killer, as 2022 alone saw 1.3 million deaths from tuberculosis and 630,000 from HIV, while measles outbreaks in 2022 still caused 136,000 deaths even as HIV mortality fell 69% from its 2004 peak.
03 · Category
Maternal And Child Health20 stats
01
Maternal mortality ratio was 223 deaths per 100,000 live births globally in 2020
02
287,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes in 2020
03
Under-5 mortality rate dropped to 38 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
04
Neonatal deaths totaled 2.3 million in 2022, 47% of under-5 deaths
05
Preterm birth complications caused 1 million neonatal deaths yearly
06
14 million adolescent girls give birth yearly in low/middle-income countries
07
Stillbirths numbered 1.9 million in 2021
08
Congenital anomalies caused 240,000 neonatal deaths in 2020
09
Low birth weight affected 20.5 million newborns (14.8%) in 2020
10
Obstetric fistula impacts 2 million women worldwide
11
Eclampsia and pre-eclampsia caused 14% of maternal deaths
12
Postpartum haemorrhage led to 27% of maternal deaths
13
2.4 million children under 5 stunted in growth in 2022
14
148 million children under 5 wasted in 2022
15
Breastfeeding rates: only 44% exclusively breastfed first 6 months
16
45% of deaths in children under 5 due to malnutrition
17
Globally, 93 million girls not in school, impacting maternal health knowledge
18
Antenatal care coverage: 66% received at least 4 visits in 2022
19
Skilled birth attendance: 88% globally in 2020
20
Postnatal care within 2 days: 77% coverage in 2020
Interpretation
Maternal And Child Health Interpretation
Maternal and child health outcomes remain deeply uneven as global maternal mortality reached 223 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 and neonatal deaths still totaled 2.3 million in 2022, with 47% of under five deaths occurring in the first month of life.
More related reading
04 · Category
Mental Health19 stats
01
Depression affects 3.8% of population, 5% women, 2.6% men
02
Anxiety disorders impacted 301 million people in 2019
03
Bipolar disorder affected 40 million globally in 2019
04
Schizophrenia prevalence 0.32% or 24 million worldwide in 2019
05
Eating disorders affected 14 million people in 2019
06
Suicide resulted in 727,000 deaths in 2021, 58% men
07
Alcohol use disorders: 400 million people aged 15+ in 2019
08
Drug use disorders affected 40 million in 2019
09
PTSD prevalence post-trauma 3.9% lifetime in US
10
ADHD affected 366 million in 2021 globally
11
Autism spectrum disorder: 1 in 100 children worldwide
12
970 million people living with mental disorder in 2019
13
One in eight people live with mental disorder
14
Antipsychotic treatment gap 90% in low-income countries
15
Depression major contributor to suicide, second leading cause 15-29 years
16
Harmful alcohol use causes 3 million deaths yearly, 5.3% all deaths
17
Opioid use disorder affected 60 million globally in 2021
18
Cannabis use disorder: 22 million sufferers in 2021
19
Amphetamine use disorder impacted 29 million in 2021
Interpretation
Mental Health Interpretation
Mental health burdens are widespread and disproportionately affect men, with suicide accounting for 727,000 deaths in 2021 and 58% of them involving men, alongside depression reaching 3.8% of the population.
05 · Category
Nutrition And Lifestyle24 stats
01
35.9 million tobacco users aged 15+ in 2022
02
Tobacco kills over 8 million yearly, including 1.3 million non-smokers
03
1 in 8 deaths from tobacco in 2019
04
Obesity tripled since 1975, 1 in 8 people obese in 2022
05
2.5 billion adults overweight, 890 million obese in 2022
06
Childhood obesity rose from 4% to 18% in 50 years
07
Physical inactivity causes 3.2 million deaths yearly
08
1 in 4 adults not active enough, 81% adolescents inactive
09
149 million children stunted, 45 million wasted in 2021
10
Micronutrient deficiencies: 2 billion people affected
11
Salt intake average 9-12g/day, double WHO recommendation
12
Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to obesity rise
13
Fruit/veg intake insufficient in 80% population
14
Alcohol causes 3 million deaths yearly
15
400 million with alcohol disorders
16
Ultra-processed foods >50% energy intake in high-income countries
17
Sedentary behaviour 6-8 hours/day average adult
18
Sleep deprivation affects 1 in 3 adults, linked to obesity
19
Trans fats cause 540,000 deaths yearly from heart disease
20
Vitamin A deficiency blinds 250,000-500,000 children yearly
21
Iodine deficiency affects 2 billion, lowers IQ by 10-15 points
22
Iron deficiency anaemia in 40% preschool children, 37% pregnant women
23
Food insecurity affected 783 million in 2022
24
Double burden: 390 million obese and undernourished simultaneously
Interpretation
Nutrition And Lifestyle Interpretation
Nutrition and lifestyle risks are worsening fast, with obesity reaching 1 in 8 people in 2022 after tripling since 1975 and childhood obesity climbing from 4% to 18% in 50 years.
report visual · Comparison
Leading causes and shares of global death
Cardiovascular diseases lead global mortality by both total deaths and share of all deaths.
Cardiovascular diseases caused 17.9 million deaths in 2020, 32% of all global deaths32%
Cancers accounted for 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020
10
Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, 8.9 million in 2020
8.9
Stroke caused 6.6 million deaths in 2020
6.6
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Public Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/public-health-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Public Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/public-health-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Public Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/public-health-statistics.
Sources & references
16 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level