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Disease burden, 2000–2021

The burden of disease is calculated using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY). One DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health. DALYs for a disease or health condition are the sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs) and years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLDs) due to prevalent cases of the disease or health condition in a population.

 

Summary findings

  • DALYs due to communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and diarrhoeal diseases have dropped by over 50% since 2000.
  • DALYs from diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled between 2000 and 2021.

 

 

 

Top 10 Causes of DALYs

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Communicable
Non-communicable
Injuries

Underlying Data

Cause Value Category

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About the download files


The latest global, regional and country-level estimates of cause-specific disability-adjusted life year (DALYs), years of life lost (YLL) and years lost due to disability (YLD) for the year 2000, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are available for download below.

A summary of data sources and methods is available below. Due to changes in data and some methods, the 2000–2021 estimates are not comparable to previously-released WHO estimates.

Recommended citation: Global Health Estimates 2021: Disease burden by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2021. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2024.

 

GLOBAL AND BY REGION

YLL estimates, 2000–2021  WHO regions ¦ World Bank income groups ¦  Global summary estimates

YLD estimates, 2000–2021  WHO regions ¦  World Bank income groups ¦  Global summary estimates

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