Summary In 2019, the age-standardised rate of DALYs attributable to lead exposure was 267·5 per 100 000 (95% UI 170·6–373·4). Afghanistan and Yemen experienced the highest rates in the world.

Definition There are two types of lead exposure: acute exposure, measured by micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood, and chronic exposure, measured by micrograms of lead per gram of bone. The TMREL is 2 micrograms per decilitre of blood.

Total sources
Exposure 552
Relative risk 2
Table 1: Total sources used in GBD 2019 estimation
What is new in GBD 2019?
  • •The MR-BRT tool was used to adjust the exposure data for type of data and urbanicity. The data type adjustment was applied to adjust data not reported as an arithmetic mean.
  • •GBD 2019 adjustment factors: 0·84 (0·51–1·37) for geometric mean; 0·86 (0·52–1·40) for median.
  • •GBD 2017 adjustment factors: 0·90 (0·88–0·92) for geometric mean; 0·85 (0·82–0·88) for median.
  • •The urbanicity adjustment was applied to adjust reported data to reflect average national-level urbanicity.
  • •GBD 2019 adjustment factor: 1·25 (0·66–2·35) for non-nationally representative datapoints.
  • •GBD 2017 adjustment factor: 1·36 (1·22–1·53) for non-nationally representative datapoints.
Deaths
YLLs
YLDs
DALYs
Number
(millions)
Rate (per
100 000)
Number
(millions)
Rate (per
100 000)
Number
(millions)
Rate (per
100 000)
Number
(millions)
Rate (per
100 000)
2019
Both Sexes
0·902 (0·551
to 1·29)
11·5 (7·0
to 16·5)
17·6 (10·5
to 25·2)
214·7 (128·1
to 310·2)
4·12 (2·31
to 6·48)
52·8 (29·4
to 83·3)
21·7 (13·8
to 30·3)
267·5 (170·6
to 373·4)
Females
0·346 (0·188
to 0·533)
7·9 (4·3
to 12·1)
6·12 (3·35
to 9·38)
139·9 (76·4
to 214·5)
1·92 (1·08
to 3·04)
48·9 (26·6
to 77·6)
8·04 (4·82
to 11·7)
188·8 (113·1
to 274·6)
Males
0·556 (0·357
to 0·767)
16·1 (10·3
to 22·0)
11·4 (7·08
to 16·0)
300·4 (187·3
to 423·3)
2·20 (1·26
to 3·42)
57·2 (32·6
to 88·9)
13·6 (8·88
to 18·8)
357·6 (233·4
to 493·3)
Percentage change 2010-19
Both Sexes
13·8% (5·7
to 21·6)
–12·6% (–18·7
to –6·8)
4·7% (–3·8
to 12·6)
–17·7% (–24·4
to –11·5)
1·7% (–1·8
to 6·7)
–10·8% (–13·0
to –9·0)
4·1% (–3·0
to 10·8)
–16·4% (–21·9
to –11·3)
Females
19·3% (8·0
to 31·0)
–9·5% (–17·9
to –0·7)
10·8% (–1·2
to 21·9)
–13·8% (–23·3
to –5·1)
2·7% (–1·0
to 8·0)
–10·0% (–12·3
to –8·1)
8·7% (–0·6
to 17·8)
–12·9% (–20·1
to –6·3)
Males
10·7% (1·0
to 19·7)
–14·6% (–21·6
to –7·9)
1·7% (–8·3
to 11·1)
–19·5% (–27·2
to –12·0)
0·9% (–2·5
to 5·5)
–11·5% (–13·7
to –9·8)
1·6% (–6·9
to 9·8)
–18·3% (–24·8
to –12·0)
Numbers in parentheses are 95% uncertainty intervals.
Table 2: Attributable global deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in counts and age-standardised rates for both sexes combined, females, and males, 2019, with percentage change between 2010 and 2019
Deaths YLLs YLDs DALYs
1990 22nd 26th 17th 26th
2010 21st 24th 20th 25th
2019 19th 23rd 24th 25th
Table 3: Rank among attributable Level 3 risks plus most detailed Level 2 risks of global deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in 1990, 2010, and 2019 for both sexes combined
Figure 1: Composition of attributable global DALYs by constituent Level 2 causes for both sexes combined, 2019
Figure 2: Composition of attributable global DALYs by YLLs and YLDs, age group, and sex, 2019
No Legend
Figure 3: Age-standardised all-cause SEV by location, both sexes combined, 2019
No Legend
Figure 4: Percentage change in all-cause age-standardised SEV by SDI, both sexes combined, 1990–2019
Figure 5: Percentage of population exposed to risk factor, both sexes combined, 2019