List of causes of death by rate

This article provides a broad overview of the leading causes of death by rate across the world. Causes of death vary significantly by country and income levels, with higher-income countries tending to have higher rates of non-communicable diseases like heart disease and cancer, while lower-income countries often have higher rates of communicable diseases and conditions related to childbirth and child mortality.

Classification of Causes of Death[edit | edit source]

Causes of death can be classified into three broad categories:
Communicable Diseases (including infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, and maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions)
Non-Communicable Diseases (such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases)
Injuries (including accidents, suicides, and violence)

Leading Causes of Death Globally[edit | edit source]

According to the World Health Organization, the leading causes of death globally include:
Ischemic heart disease
Stroke
Lower respiratory infections
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers
Diabetes mellitus
Kidney diseases
Road traffic accidents
Liver diseases
It should be noted that the exact ranking can vary from year to year and between different data sources.

Causes of Death by Age Group[edit | edit source]

Different age groups have different leading causes of death:
Infants and children under 5: The leading causes of death are often related to prematurity, birth complications, and lower respiratory infections.
Adolescents and young adults: Injuries, particularly due to road traffic accidents and suicides, become a leading cause of death.
Middle-aged adults: Non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, become more prevalent.
Older adults: Chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia, are the primary causes of death.

References[edit | edit source]

Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2020.
GBD 2017 Causes of Death Collaborators. (2018). Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1736-1788.

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