2.2 Your ‘Global Top 10’

The graph below shows the top 10 causes of death globally, taken from data by the World Health Organization in 2012.

Figure 2.1 Top 10 causes of death global, 2012 (Source World Health Organization [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] )

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A bar graph showing the 10 leading causes of death in the world 2012 (with the top causes at the top of the chart)

Ischaemic heart disease 7.4 million

Stroke 6.7 million

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 3.1 million

Lower respiratory infection 3.1 million

Trachea bronchus, lung cancers 1.6 million

HIV/AIDS 1.5 million

Diarrhoeal diseases 1.5 million

Diabetes mellitus 1.5 million

Road injury 1.3 million

Hypertensive heart disease 1.1 million

Figure 2.1 Top 10 causes of death global, 2012 (Source World Health Organization)

WHO data shows the patterns are not stable and change over time. For example: 

• Diarrhoea is no longer among the 5 leading causes of death, but is still among the top 10, killing 1.5 million people in 2012. 
• HIV deaths decreased slightly from 1.7 million (3.2%) deaths in 2000 to 1.5 million (2.7%) deaths in 2012. 
• Chronic diseases cause increasing numbers of deaths worldwide. Lung cancers (along with trachea and bronchus cancers) caused 1.6 million (2.9%) deaths in 2012, up from 1.2 million (2.2%) deaths in 2000. 
• Diabetes caused 1.5 million (2.7%) deaths in 2012, up from 1.0 million (2.0%) deaths in 2000.