Knowing the patterns and trends in causes of death by age and sex in a population is critical to understanding how to target interventions to maximize population health. Global Burden of Disease research estimates how many people die worldwide from over 300 diseases and injuries each year. Our interactive Life Expectancy & Probability of Death data visualization shows these trends by age, sex, and country over time.
Less than half of the world’s population has their births and deaths recorded in a vital registration system, leaving millions whose cause of death is unknown. Even when this information is available, causes of death are often inaccurately or inconsistently recorded.
To overcome this issue, we have created analytic tools that model trends, redistribute deaths mistakenly assigned to incorrect causes, and help fill gaps where data are missing. Pooling all available data on causes of death – including vital registration, household surveys, verbal autopsies, and hospital records – has enhanced our ability to create high-performing methods.
Our Mortality and Causes of Death visualizations show how these estimates are made and where data gaps occur. Data can also be downloaded from our Global Health Data Exchange.
Up-to-date evidence on levels and trends for age-sex-specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality is essential for the formation of global, regional, and national health policies. In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) we estimated yearly deaths for 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. We used the results to assess whether there is epidemiological convergence across countries.
How did life expectancy and probability of death change between 1990 and 2015 in 195 countries? Examine changes in life expectancy and see how causes contributed to changes in life expectancy. Explore the probability of death by cause, location, sex, and year. Analyze healthy life expectancy (HALE) by sex, location, and year.
People are living much longer worldwide than they were two decades ago, as death rates from infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease have fallen, according to a new, first-ever journal publication of country-specific cause-of-death data for 188 countries.
Where do we have the best data on different health conditions? For any age group, see where various data sources have placed trends in causes of death over time. You can examine more than 250 causes in both adjusted and pre-adjusted numbers, rates, and percentages for 195 countries and territories.