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The Top 20 Leading Causes of Death in The World
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Globally, more than 68 million people died in 2021. What were the leading causes of death?
This graphic uses the latest data from the World Health Organization to explore the main reasons people die, visualizing the top 20 causes of death globally .
Breaking Down the Leading Causes of Death in 2021
Figures are based on the latest available data from 2021, in which the top 20 causes combined accounted for 71.5% of all deaths.
The top cause of death is ischaemic heart disease, which occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow and oxygen to the heart. When blood flow to the heart is completely blocked, the heart muscle cells die and this is known as a heart attack.
People are at a higher risk of ischaemic heart disease if they smoke, have high blood pressure or blood cholesterol levels, have a family history of the disease, smoke, or are obese.
| Rank | Cause | Category | Number of Deaths | % of Total Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ischaemic heart disease | Non-infectious disease | 9.0M | 13.2 |
| 2 | COVID-19 | Infectious disease | 8.7M | 12.8 |
| 3 | Stroke | Non-infectious disease | 7.0M | 10.2 |
| 4 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | Non-infectious disease | 3.5M | 5.2 |
| 5 | Lower respiratory infections | Infectious disease | 2.5M | 3.6 |
| 6 | Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers | Non-infectious disease | 1.9M | 2.7 |
| 7 | Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias | Non-infectious disease | 1.8M | 2.7 |
| 8 | Diabetes | Non-infectious disease | 1.6M | 2.4 |
| 9 | Kidney diseases | Non-infectious disease | 1.4M | 2.1 |
| 10 | Tuberculosis | Infectious disease | 1.4M | 2.0 |
| 11 | Hypertensive heart disease | Non-infectious disease | 1.4M | 2.0 |
| 12 | Cirrhosis of the liver | Non-infectious disease | 1.3M | 1.9 |
| 13 | Diarrhoeal diseases | Infectious disease | 1.2M | 1.8 |
| 14 | Road injury | Injury | 1.2M | 1.7 |
| 15 | Colon and rectum cancers | Non-infectious disease | 954K | 1.4 |
| 16 | Preterm birth complications | Newborn condition | 934K | 1.4 |
| 17 | Stomach cancer | Non-infectious disease | 856K | 1.3 |
| 18 | Falls | Injury | 739K | 1.1 |
| 19 | Self-harm | Injury | 726K | 1.1 |
| 20 | Breast cancer | Non-infectious disease | 705K | 1.0 |
Among the leading causes of death, COVID-19 took the second spot in 2021 when deaths from the virus reached their peak. Itโs worth noting that the number of reported COVID-19 deaths has dropped dramatically in the last few years.
Of the top 20 causes of death, only four are infectious: COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and diarrhoeal diseases. The latter two are much less common in high-income countries.
The same is true for preterm birth complications, which are the leading cause of preventable child deaths. Children born before 37 weeks of pregnancy in high-income countries are much more likely to survive. This is because they have access to care such as warmth, breastfeeding support, and basic care for infections and breathing troubles.
Preventative Measures to Reduce Health Risks
When it comes to lowering your risk of dying from these leading causes of death, there are some steps that apply to many of the non-infectious causes:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Get regular exercise
- Keep to a healthy weight
- Do not smoke
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Manage blood pressure
For infectious conditions, some helpful measures can include vaccinations, following hygiene measures like washing your hands regularly, and avoiding close contact with infected people.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
To learn about female deaths specifically, see this graphic on the rate of avoidable deaths per 100,000 women in high-income countries.