Leukaemia is the 12th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 3% of all new cancer cases (2016-2018).[1-4]
In females in the UK, leukaemia is the 12th most common cancer (2% of all new female cancer cases). In males in the UK, it is the 10th most common cancer (3% of all new male cancer cases).
40% of leukaemia cases in the UK are in females, and 60% are in males.
Leukaemia incidence rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in England, significantly lower than the UK average in Scotland and Wales, and similar to the UK average in Northern Ireland.
For leukaemia, there are few established risk factors therefore differences between countries largely reflect differences in diagnosis and data recording.
Leukaemia (C91-C95), Average Number of New Cases Per Year, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016-2018
England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | UK | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Cases | 3,414 | 280 | 176 | 101 | 3,971 |
Crude Rate | 12.1 | 10.0 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 11.9 | |
AS Rate | 12.1 | 9.8 | 10.3 | 11.3 | 11.8 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 11.9 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 11.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 12.3 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 12.6 | 12.0 | |
Male | Cases | 5,104 | 404 | 279 | 149 | 5,936 |
Crude Rate | 18.6 | 15.3 | 18.1 | 16.2 | 18.2 | |
AS Rate | 21.1 | 17.0 | 18.7 | 19.5 | 20.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 20.7 | 16.0 | 17.4 | 17.7 | 20.3 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 21.4 | 18.0 | 20.0 | 21.3 | 20.9 | |
Persons | Cases | 8,517 | 684 | 456 | 250 | 9,907 |
Crude Rate | 15.3 | 12.6 | 14.6 | 13.4 | 15.0 | |
AS Rate | 16.2 | 13.0 | 14.2 | 15.1 | 15.8 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 16.0 | 12.4 | 13.4 | 14.0 | 15.6 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 16.4 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 16.2 | 16.0 |

See also
Leaukaemia mortality statistics by sex and UK country
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) incidence statistics by sex and UK country
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) incidence statistics by sex and UK country
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) incidence statistics by sex and UK country
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) incidence statistics by sex and UK country
References
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Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases
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Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
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Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/, March 2021.
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Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, May 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
About this data
Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C91-C95.
The term leukaemia describes four main subtypes, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukaemia (CML) and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), as well as a number of less common types. It is important to recognise the variation between these subtypes when interpreting statistics on leukaemia as a whole.