Eight of the top ten causes of death globally are noncommunicable diseases
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest Global Health Estimates, released on 2 October, reveal the growing prominence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in global mortality. In 2023, eight of the world’s ten leading causes of death were NCDs, with NCDs accounting for 74% of deaths worldwide, up from 58% in 2000. This highlights the urgent need for action to prevent and manage these conditions.
Ischaemic heart disease remains the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 9.5 million lives in 2023, followed by stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias rose to fifth place, while diabetes ranked sixth, with deaths from diabetes more than doubling since 2000. These shifts reflect population growth and an ageing demographic, and also increased exposure to NCD risk factors, namely unhealthy diets, air pollution, physical inactivity, and tobacco and alcohol use. A large proportion of NCDs could be prevented or delayed by reducing this exposure.
The findings also reveal stark inequalities between countries. In low-income countries (LICs), seven of the ten leading causes of death in 2023 were communicable diseases, including lower respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. Neonatal conditions and road injuries also persist as significant challenges. While deaths from several infectious diseases have fallen substantially since 2000, lower respiratory infections have remained the leading cause of death in LICs for much of the past decade, with annual deaths exceeding 350,000 throughout 2000 – 2023.
“The growing burden of NCDs is more than an epidemiological shift; it is a slow-motion health disaster shaped by deep and persistent inequities. Where people are born, live and work, their access to healthy environments and affordable healthcare, and the policies that shape their daily lives all influence their risk of developing and dying prematurely from NCDs. No country can afford to ignore this growing crisis, and no community should be left behind in the response.”
At the same time, the NCD burden is growing across countries of all income groups. Five of the ten leading causes of death in lower-middle-income countries were NCDs, rising to eight in upper-middle-income countries and nine in high-income countries. This underscores the dual challenge of sustaining progress in infectious diseases, neonatal conditions, and other preventable causes of death while responding effectively to the growing burden on NCDs. The lower representation of NCDs among leading causes of death in low-income countries does not reflect an absence of need, but rather the dual burden of communicable diseases and other conditions that health systems must also address alongside NCDs.
Across income groups, the findings reinforce the importance of integrated, people-centred health systems capable of preventing, diagnosing and managing NCDs and other health needs throughout the life course. This requires health-promoting environments and communities built through coordinated, multi-sector policy action, together with accessible, affordable and quality health services.
Reliable mortality data are essential to these efforts. WHO notes that data collection systems in many countries remain fragmented or incomplete, limiting policymakers’ ability to identify populations most at risk and allocate resources effectively and in alignment with population health needs. Strengthening national health information systems and ensuring data are disaggregated by factors such as age, gender and geography are therefore critical to addressing inequities and informing health policies.
