Ranked: The Top 20 Causes of Death in 2021

Visual Capitalist October 13, 2024
Jenna Ross

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.

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