Death by disease statistics help show which health conditions contribute most to mortality and how patterns change over time and across regions. The figures below use recent releases from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Eurostat.
death by disease statistics
Key death by disease statistics
Global deaths (2021): 68 million total deaths worldwide; the top 10 causes accounted for 39 million (57%).
Leading global cause (2021): Ischaemic heart disease caused 9.1 million deaths.
COVID-19 (2021): Directly responsible for 8.8 million deaths globally.
COPD (2021): Caused 3.5 million deaths worldwide (about 5% of global deaths).
Noncommunicable diseases (2021): Killed at least 43 million people (WHO framing: ~75% of non-pandemic-related deaths).
EU deaths (2022):5.16 million total deaths; major causes included circulatory diseases (32.7%) and cancer (22.3%).
Leading causes of death globally (selected diseases, 2021)
These are major individual diseases highlighted with recent WHO totals (COPD total from the WHO COPD fact sheet; other causes from the WHO “Top 10 causes of death” fact sheet).
How concentrated are global deaths among the top causes? (2021)
WHO estimates show the top 10 causes of death accounted for 39 million deaths out of 68 million total worldwide in 2021.
Label
Bar
Value
Top 10 causes (combined)
39M
All other causes
29M
Max = 39M deaths. Widths: Top 10 causes (combined) 100.00%, All other causes 74.36%.
Noncommunicable disease deaths by major group (global, 2021)
WHO estimates that noncommunicable diseases killed at least 43 million people in 2021. Within NCDs, WHO highlights the following approximate breakdown by major disease group.
Label
Bar
Value
Cardiovascular diseases
≥19M
Cancers
10M
Chronic respiratory diseases
4M
Diabetes (incl. kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes)
>2M
Max = 19M deaths. Widths: Cardiovascular diseases 100.00%, Cancers 52.63%, Chronic respiratory diseases 21.05%, Diabetes (incl. kidney from diabetes) 10.53%.
EU death by disease statistics (shares, 2022)
Eurostat reports that 5.16 million deaths occurred in the EU in 2022. Circulatory diseases and cancer led, followed by respiratory diseases and COVID-19 (reported separately).
Label
Bar
Value
Circulatory diseases
32.7%
Cancer
22.3%
All other causes
32.0%
Respiratory diseases
7.0%
COVID-19
6.0%
Max = 32.7%. Widths: Circulatory diseases 100.00%, Cancer 68.20%, All other causes 97.86%, Respiratory diseases 21.41%, COVID-19 18.35%.
Why death-by-disease numbers can differ across sources
Different definitions: Some releases group diseases (e.g., “cardiovascular diseases”), while others list specific conditions (e.g., ischaemic heart disease).
Cause-of-death certification: Counts depend on how deaths are recorded and coded on death certificates.
Updates and revisions: Estimates can be revised when new data (or improved methods) are incorporated.
Sources
WHO — “The top 10 causes of death” (7 August 2024): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
WHO — “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)” (6 November 2024): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-%28copd%29
WHO — “Noncommunicable diseases” (25 September 2025): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
WHO — “Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)” (31 July 2025): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-%28cvds%29
Eurostat — “Causes of death statistics” (Statistics Explained; data extracted March 2025; covers EU 2022 figures): https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Causes_of_death_statistics
