“Deaths by country” can mean either the total number of deaths (strongly influenced by population size) or the crude death rate (deaths per 1,000 people, influenced by age structure and overall health conditions).
death by country statistics
Key death-by-country statistics
61,619,925 deaths were recorded worldwide in 2023 (calendar year).
The countries with the highest total deaths in 2023 were China (11,684,177) and India (9,507,008).
China + India accounted for about 34.39% of all global deaths in 2023 (computed from the global total).
The top 10 countries by total deaths accounted for about 59.08% of all global deaths in 2023 (computed).
On average, the world saw about 168,822 deaths per day in 2023 (computed).
Top countries by total deaths
The table below uses UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates for 2023.
Top 10 countries by number of deaths (2023)
Label
Bar
Value
China
11,684,177
India
9,507,008
United States
2,975,658
Nigeria
2,675,442
Indonesia
2,117,706
Russia
1,794,857
Pakistan
1,600,313
Japan
1,524,430
Brazil
1,494,154
Germany
1,034,140
Max = 11,684,177 deaths. Widths: China 100.00%, India 81.37%, United States 25.47%, Nigeria 22.90%, Indonesia 18.12%, Russia 15.36%, Pakistan 13.70%, Japan 13.05%, Brazil 12.79%, Germany 8.85%.
Countries with the highest crude death rates
Crude death rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year. The list below shows the highest death rates from the CIA World Factbook (2022 estimates).
Top 10 highest crude death rates (2022, deaths per 1,000)
Label
Bar
Value
Serbia
16.39
Romania
15.26
Lithuania
15.12
Latvia
14.65
Bulgaria
14.41
Ukraine
13.77
Russia
13.36
Estonia
13.10
Belarus
12.88
Croatia
12.88
Max = 16.39 deaths per 1,000 people. Widths: Serbia 100.00%, Romania 93.11%, Lithuania 92.25%, Latvia 89.38%, Bulgaria 87.92%, Ukraine 84.01%, Russia 81.51%, Estonia 79.93%, Belarus 78.58%, Croatia 78.58%.
FAQ
Which country has the most deaths?
In 2023, China had the highest total deaths (11,684,177), followed by India (9,507,008).
Does the “most deaths” country have the worst health outcomes?
Not necessarily. Total deaths are highly related to population size and age structure. For cross-country comparisons, a rate (such as deaths per 1,000 people) is usually more informative than the raw count.
What is the crude death rate?
Crude death rate is the number of deaths in a year divided by the population, typically expressed as deaths per 1,000 people.
Sources
United Nations (UN DESA), World Population Prospects 2024 (total deaths by country; 2023 calendar year).
Our World in Data: “Crude death rate” dataset metadata (UN World Population Prospects 2024; deaths per 1,000 people).
CIA World Factbook (2022 archive), country comparison: death rate (deaths per 1,000 population).
