Death Rates by Region

Africa has the youngest population of any continent but also the highest mortality rates from infectious diseases. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and lower respiratory infections remain leading killers, while cardiovascular disease is rising fast.

The Americas span from Canada to Chile, with vast disparities in healthcare access and life expectancy. Cardiovascular disease dominates as the leading cause of death, though cancer overtakes it in higher-income countries like Canada.

Asia is home to more than half the world population and accounts for the largest share of global deaths. Cardiovascular disease is the overwhelming top killer, though cancer leads in Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Singapore.

Europe has some of the highest life expectancies in the world but also ageing populations that drive large absolute death counts. Cardiovascular disease accounts for the majority of deaths across nearly every European country.

Oceania includes Australia and New Zealand — among the longest-lived nations on Earth — alongside Pacific Island states with significantly lower life expectancies. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death across the region.