Summary Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) resulted in 74·4 million (95% UI 68·2–80·2) global DALYs and 71·9% (67·9–75·4) of total chronic respiratory disease DALYs in 2019.

Definition COPD is a disease characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities, usually caused by significant long-term exposure to noxious particles or gases. COPD includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Total sources
Incidence 6
Prevalence 142
Remission 0
Causes of death 2625
Other 38
Table 1: Total sources used in GBD 2019 estimation
What is new in GBD 2019?
  • •Excess mortality rates were modelled in meta-regression—Bayesian, regularised, trimmed (MR-BRT) by age and sex as a function of the HAQ Index.
  • •Adjustments for alternative case definitions (the European Respiratory Society criteria, lower limit of normal estimates and omission of a bronchodilator prior to spirometry) were applied prior to DisMod-MR. These adjustments overall raised estimates for non-standard case definitions of COPD compared to the adjustments previously estimated based on fewer data.
Prevalence
Incidence
Deaths
YLLs
YLDs
DALYs
Cases
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
Cases
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
Deaths
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
YLLs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
YLDs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
DALYs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
2019
Both Sexes
212
(200
to 225)
2638·2
(2492·2
to 2796·1)
16·2
(15·2
to 17·2)
200·5
(188·6
to 212·6)
3·28
(2·90
to 3·57)
42·5
(37·6
to 46·3)
54·6
(48·7
to 59·5)
680·8
(606·4
to 741·6)
19·8
(16·6
to 22·4)
245·3
(205·2
to 276·8)
74·4
(68·2
to 80·2)
926·1
(848·8
to 997·7)
Females
107
(101
to 114)
2487·1
(2346·5
to 2640·6)
7·93
(7·44
to 8·43)
184·0
(172·7
to 195·3)
1·40
(1·14
to 1·60)
31·8
(26·0
to 36·5)
21·8
(17·9
to 25·0)
499·0
(409·1
to 571·9)
10·5
(8·83
to 12·1)
245·2
(205·4
to 280·3)
32·4
(28·4
to 35·8)
744·1
(652·2
to 822·2)
Males
105
(99·2
to 111)
2828·1
(2677·6
to 2990·5)
8·28
(7·78
to 8·80)
219·3
(206·6
to 232·0)
1·88
(1·70
to 2·07)
56·8
(51·2
to 62·5)
32·8
(29·4
to 36·3)
902·2
(808·8
to 995·9)
9·29
(7·67
to 10·7)
246·9
(204·0
to 282·0)
42·1
(38·4
to 46·2)
1149·1
(1050·1
to 1257·3)
Percentage change 2010-19
Both Sexes
20·8%
(19·4
to 22·3)
–4·6%
(–5·7
to –3·6)
22·3%
(20·5
to 23·9)
–3·1%
(–4·2
to –2·1)
13·7%
(5·4
to 22·4)
–14·2%
(–20·4
to –7·9)
9·1%
(0·9
to 17·7)
–16·0%
(–22·2
to –9·3)
19·1%
(15·7
to 22·9)
–5·3%
(–8·0
to –2·4)
11·6%
(5·3
to 18·3)
–13·4%
(–18·1
to –8·2)
Females
23·4%
(21·9
to 24·9)
–2·5%
(–3·6
to –1·4)
24·9%
(23·1
to 26·5)
–1·1%
(–2·2
to 0·0)
16·2%
(3·0
to 29·3)
–12·3%
(–22·2
to –2·5)
11·8%
(–1·4
to 24·5)
–13·7%
(–23·7
to –3·8)
21·8%
(17·0
to 27·3)
–3·0%
(–6·7
to 1·2)
14·8%
(6·0
to 24·0)
–10·5%
(–17·3
to –3·4)
Males
18·3%
(16·8
to 19·8)
–6·8%
(–7·9
to –5·7)
19·9%
(18·1
to 21·7)
–5·0%
(–6·2
to –3·9)
12·0%
(2·4
to 23·3)
–16·2%
(–23·1
to –8·3)
7·3%
(–2·3
to 19·0)
–17·8%
(–25·0
to –9·3)
16·3%
(12·4
to 20·7)
–7·9%
(–10·9
to –4·4)
9·2%
(1·3
to 18·3)
–15·8%
(–21·7
to –8·8)
Numbers in parentheses are 95% uncertainty intervals.
Table 2: Global prevalence, incidence, deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in counts and age-standardised rates for both sexes, females, and males, 2019, with percentage change between 2010 and 2019
Deaths YLLs YLDs DALYs
1990 6th 12th 15th 11th
2010 3rd 11th 13th 9th
2019 3rd 7th 14th 6th
Table 3: Rank among Level 3 causes for global deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in 1990, 2010, and 2019, for both sexes combined
Figure 1: Composition of DALYs by YLLs and constituent sequelae YLDs for both sexes combined, 2019
Figure 2: Percentage of DALYs attributable to top risk factors, 2019
No Legend
Figure 3: Age-standardised DALY rates for each location by SDI, 2019
Figure 4: Composition of DALYs by YLLs and YLDs, age group, and sex, 2019
No Legend
Figure 5: Age-standardised DALY rates (per 100 000) by location, both sexes, 2019