Ranked: The Top 20 Leading Causes of Death in 2021

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Ranked: The Top 20 Causes of Death in 2021

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See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Voronoi chart of the top 20 leading causes of death showing that the top cause is ischaemic heart disease, which is responsible for the nine million deaths in 2021.

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The Top 20 Leading Causes of Death in The World

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

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.

RankCauseCategoryNumber of Deaths% of Total Deaths
1Ischaemic heart diseaseNon-infectious disease9.0M13.2
2COVID-19Infectious disease8.7M12.8
3StrokeNon-infectious disease7.0M10.2
4Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseNon-infectious disease3.5M5.2
5Lower respiratory infectionsInfectious disease2.5M3.6
6Trachea, bronchus, lung cancersNon-infectious disease1.9M2.7
7Alzheimer's disease and other dementiasNon-infectious disease1.8M2.7
8Diabetes Non-infectious disease1.6M2.4
9Kidney diseasesNon-infectious disease1.4M2.1
10TuberculosisInfectious disease1.4M2.0
11Hypertensive heart diseaseNon-infectious disease1.4M2.0
12Cirrhosis of the liverNon-infectious disease1.3M1.9
13Diarrhoeal diseasesInfectious disease1.2M1.8
14Road injuryInjury1.2M1.7
15Colon and rectum cancersNon-infectious disease954K1.4
16Preterm birth complicationsNewborn condition934K1.4
17Stomach cancerNon-infectious disease856K1.3
18FallsInjury739K1.1
19Self-harmInjury726K1.1
20Breast cancerNon-infectious disease705K1.0

Among the leading causes of death, COVID-19 took the second spot in 2021 when deaths from the virus reached their peak. It’s 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.

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