Bladder cancer statistics

Cases

New cases of bladder cancer each year, 2016-2018 average, UK.

Deaths

Deaths from bladder cancer, 2017-2019, UK.

 

Survival

Survive bladder cancer for 10 or more years, 2013-2017, England

Preventable cases

Bladder cancer cases are preventable, UK, 2015

 

  • There are around 10,300 new bladder cancer cases in the UK every year, that's 28 every day (2016-2018).
  • Bladder cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 3% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).
  • In females in the UK, bladder cancer is the 16th most common cancer, with around 2,800 new cases every year (2016-2018).
  • In males in the UK, bladder cancer is the 8th most common cancer, with around 7,500 new cases every year (2016-2018).
  • Incidence rates for bladder cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 85 to 89 (2016-2018).
  • Each year almost 6 in 10 (56%) of all new bladder cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2016-2018).
  • Since the early 1990s, bladder cancer incidence rates have decreased by more than two-fifths (42%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by around two-fifths (41%), and rates in males have decreased by almost half (47%) (2016-2018).
  • Over the last decade, bladder cancer incidence rates have decreased by almost a sixth (16%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by almost a sixth (16%), and rates in males have decreased by around a fifth (19%) (2016-2018).
  • See our new Early Diagnosis Data Hub for statistics on stage at diagnosis for bladder cancer.
  • Bladder cancer incidence rates are projected to fall by 14% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
  • There could be around 10,700 new cases of bladder cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
  • Bladder cancer incidence rates in England in females are 47% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are 23% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).
  • Around 980 cases of bladder cancer each year in England are linked with deprivation (around 370 in females and around 610 in males).
  • Incidence rates for bladder cancer are lower in the Asian and Black ethnic groups, compared with the White ethnic group, in England (2013-2017). See our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details.
  • An estimated 69,100 people who had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth bladder cancer incidence statistics

  • There are around 5,600 bladder cancer deaths in the UK every year, that's 15 every day (2017-2019).
  • Bladder cancer is the 9th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 3% of all cancer deaths (2017-2019).
  • In females in the UK, bladder cancer is the 14th most common cause of cancer death, with around 1,800 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, bladder cancer is the 7th most common cause of cancer death, with around 3,800 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for bladder cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 90+ (2017-2019).
  • Each year around 7 in 10 of all bladder cancer deaths (71%) in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1970s, bladder cancer mortality rates have decreased by around a quarter (24%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by almost a sixth (16%), and rates in males have decreased by more than a third (35%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, bladder cancer mortality rates have decreased by more than a twentieth (7%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by almost a tenth (8%), and rates in males have decreased by a tenth (10%) (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for bladder cancer are generally lower in people of non-White minority ethnicity, compared with the White ethnic group, where data is available, in England and Wales (2017-2019). See the publication Mortality from leading causes of death by ethnic group, England and Wales.
  • Bladder cancer mortality rates are projected to fall by 4% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
  • There could be around around 7,700 deaths of bladder cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
  • Bladder cancer deaths in England are more common in people living in the most deprived areas.

See more in-depth bladder cancer mortality statistics

  • Around 3 in 4 (74.1%) of people diagnosed with bladder cancer in England survive their disease for one year or more (2013-2017).
  • More than 1 in 2 (52.6%) of people diagnosed with bladder cancer in England survive their disease for five years or more (2013-2017).
  • It is predicted that almost 1 in 2 (46.3%) of people diagnosed with bladder cancer in England survive their disease for ten years or more (2013-2017).
  • Bladder cancer survival for females is lower than for males at one-, five- and ten-years.
  • Almost three-quarters of men in England with bladder cancer diagnosed aged 15-49 survive their disease for five years or more, compared with more than 4 in 10 men diagnosed aged 80 and over (2009-2013).
  • Almost 6 in 10 women in England diagnosed with bladder cancer aged 50-59 survive their disease for five years or more, compared to less than a third of women diagnosed aged 80 and over (2009-2013).
  • Bladder cancer survival trends are difficult to interpret because of changes in classification and coding practices.
  • In the 1970s, a third (33%) of people diagnosed with bladder cancer survived their disease beyond ten years, now it's half (50%).
  • When diagnosed at its earliest stage, more than 9 in 10 (95%) people with bladder cancer will survive their disease for one year or more, compared with more than 1 in 3 (36%) people when the disease is diagnosed at the latest stage.
  • Five-year relative survival for bladder cancer in men is above the European average in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but below the European average in Scotland
  • Five-year relative survival for bladder cancer in women is similar to the European average in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but below the European average in Scotland.
See more in-depth bladder cancer survival statistics

  • A person’s risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including age, genetics, and exposure to risk factors (including some potentially avoidable lifestyle factors).
  • 1 in 50 UK males and 1 in 133 UK females will be diagnosed with bladder cancer in their lifetime.
  • 49% of bladder cancer cases in the UK are preventable.
  • 45% of bladder cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking.
  • 6% of bladder cancer cases in the UK are caused by workplace exposures.
  • 2% of bladder cancer cases in the UK are caused by ionising radiation.

See more in-depth bladder cancer risk statistics

  • ‘Two-week wait’ standards are met by all countries, ‘31-day wait’ and ‘62 day wait’ are not met by any country for urological cancers.
  • 49% of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer have surgery to remove the tumour as part of their primary cancer treatment.
  • 21% of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer have radiotherapy as part of their primary cancer treatment.
  • 34% of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer have chemotherapy as part of their primary cancer treatment.
Read more in-depth bladder cancer treatment statistics

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.