Cancer worldwide Key Facts

Cancer incidence and mortality statistics for cancer worldwide are taken from the International Agency for Research on Cancer GLOBOCAN database and also the World Health Organisation Global Health Observatory and the United Nations World Population Prospects report.

Read more in-depth worldwide cancer incidence statistics.

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• In 2008, an estimated 12.7 million new cases of cancer occurred worldwide.
• The four most common cancers occurring worldwide are lung, female breast, bowel and stomach cancer. These four account for around 4 in 10 of all cancers diagnosed worldwide.
• Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men worldwide. More than 1 in 10 of all cancers diagnosed in men are lung cancers.
• The most common cancer in women worldwide is breast cancer. Almost a quarter of all cancers diagnosed in women are breast cancers.
• Around half of cancers occurring worldwide are in less developed countries.
• Worldwide, almost 29 million people diagnosed with cancer within the five years previously were alive at the end of 2008.
• It is estimated that if current trends continue, there will be 22 million new cases of cancer worldwide occurring each year by 2030.

Read more in-depth worldwide cancer incidence statistics.

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• In 2008, an estimated 7.6 million people died from cancer worldwide.
• Cancer is the cause of around 13% of all deaths worldwide.
• More than half of all cancer deaths worldwide occur in less developed countries of the world.
• Lung, stomach, liver, bowel and female breast cancer are the most common causes of cancer death worldwide, accounting for more than half of all cancer deaths.
• Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths worldwide. Almost a fifth of all cancer deaths worldwide are lung cancers.
• An estimated 169.3 million years of healthy life were lost globally because of cancer in 2008.
• It is estimated that if current trends continue, there will be around 13.2 million deaths from cancer worldwide each year by 2030.

Read more in-depth worldwide cancer incidence statistics.

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• Tobacco is, by far, the single most important risk factor for cancer. Worldwide, it caused more than 1 in 5 cancer deaths and almost three-quarters of lung cancer deaths
• Specific infections represent other major cancer risk factors with an estimated 2.1 million new cases worldwide in 2008 attributable to infection.
• Reproductive behaviour and the use of exogenous hormones, as well as differences in weight, exercise, diet and alcohol consumption, are thought to underlie worldwide differences in the risk of breast cancer.
• The consumption of red and processed meat, fibre and alcohol, as well as bodyweight and physical activity are associated with the risk of colorectal cancer.

Read more in-depth worldwide cancer incidence statistics.

section reviewed 08/01/13
section updated 08/01/13

*estimates for 2008 **age-standardised to the World population

More detailed worldwide cancer statistics can be found using these links: incidence.

section reviewed 08/01/13
section updated 08/01/13