The World’s Leading Causes Of Death In 2019 [Infographic]

The World Health Organization has published new data highlighting the leading causes of death worldwide in 2019. Collectively, the top 10 causes of death accounted for 55% of the 55.4 million deaths that occurred last year and seven of them were noncommunicable diseases. Altogether, noncommunicable diseases accounted for 74% of all deaths recorded worldwide. The top global causes, in order of lives lost, are associated with three broad conditions – cardiovascular (ischaemic heart disease, stroke), respiratory (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections) and neonatal conditions (birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections, as well as preterm birth complications).

Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death at the turn of the century with 6.8 million people dying from the condition. It is still the world’s top killer today, accounting for 8.9 million deaths in 2019 or 16% of all deaths recorded globally. Accounting for 11% of all deaths, strokes come second on the list with the WHO reporting that they were responsible for 6.2 million people dying last year, up from 5.5 million in 2000. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comes third on the list of the deadliest conditions, associated with 3.2 million deaths in 2019, more or less unchanged from the toll it exerted back in 2000.

The WHO reported a very positive development on the rather grim list. HIV/AIDS dropped from being the eighth leading cause of death in 2000 to the 19th leading cause of death in 2019, reflecting improved diagnosis and the development of increasingly effective treatments. Tuberculosis also dropped from seventh place in 2000 to 13th spot last year amid a 30% reduction in deaths. The WHO stated that the 55.4 million deaths last year resulted in 2.5 billion healthy years of life being lost worldwide with nearly 3-in-5 people dying from the same 10 causes.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)