The Global Health Observatory

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Global Health Observatory
DDI/DNA/MFI


Top 10 global causes of death in 2021Top 10 global causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2021
  1. Ischaemic heart disease
  2. COVID-19
  3. Stroke
  4. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  5. Lower respiratory infections
  6. Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
  7. Alzheimer disease and other dementias
  8. Diabetes mellitus
  9. Kidney diseases
  10. Tuberculosis
  1. COVID-19
  2. Ischaemic heart disease
  3. Stroke
  4. Lower respiratory infections
  5. Preterm birth complications
  6. Back and neck pain
  7. Diabetes mellitus
  8. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  9. Diarrhoeal diseases
  10. Road injury

Causes of death by sex

For death and disability disaggregated by sex, annual global deaths and DALYs among women were around 13% lower than for men. However, women collectively spent about 26% more years living with disability (YLDs). In the past two decades, the greatest increase in female deaths has been from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, nearly tripled between 2000 and 2021. 

 

The top ten causes of death fact sheet


Related indicators

Adult mortality
Causes of child death
SDG Target 16.1 | Violence
Life expectancy and Healthy life expectancy
GHE life tables
Maternal mortality
Noncommunicable diseases: mortality
Unintentional poisoning: burden of disease
Road traffic deaths
Suicide rate estimates

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