Summary In 2019, 489 million (95% UI 458–523) incident cases and 11·0 million (10·3–11·6) prevalent cases of lower respiratory infections (LRI) contributed to 2·49 million (2·27–2·74) deaths and 97·2 million (84·9–113) DALYs. The largest number of deaths occurred in the 70 and older age group (1·23 million [1·06–1·32] deaths).

Definition This aggregate cause incorporates death and disability resulting from LRI, including clinician-diagnosed and self-reported cases of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza-like illness.

Total sources
Incidence 0
Prevalence 918
Remission 0
Causes of death 4023
Other 253
Table 1: Total sources used in GBD 2019 estimation
What is new in GBD 2019?
  • •Odds ratios of LRI given the presence of the pathogen were incorporated for adults 65 and older for influenza and RSV.
  • •Prior to modelling in DisMod-MR, data were adjusted to our reference case definition – pneumonia or bronchiolitis as diagnosed by a clinician. Clinical inpatient, clinical claims, hospitalised incidence from the literature, clinical visit incidence from the literature, and self-reported or survey data were adjusted to our reference definition.
  • •Non-age-specific data were age-split based on population and a modelled age-curve using age-specific data as inputs.
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
11·0
(10·3
to 11·6)
141·8
(133·4
to 150·3)
489
(458
to 523)
6295·0
(5887·4
to 6737·3)
2·49
(2·27
to 2·74)
34·3
(31·1
to 37·9)
96·5
(84·2
to 112)
1377·6
(1195·3
to 1612·6)
0·653
(0·437
to 0·925)
8·5
(5·6
to 12·0)
97·2
(84·9
to 113)
1386·1
(1203·5
to 1622·8)
Females
5·20
(4·89
to 5·50)
131·6
(123·7
to 139·7)
232
(217
to 248)
5837·3
(5450·4
to 6245·7)
1·20
(1·07
to 1·33)
30·5
(27·2
to 34·0)
45·5
(39·6
to 52·7)
1311·6
(1126·8
to 1528·1)
0·308
(0·206
to 0·433)
7·8
(5·2
to 11·0)
45·8
(39·9
to 53·1)
1319·4
(1135·4
to 1537·9)
Males
5·77
(5·42
to 6·12)
153·8
(144·7
to 163·1)
257
(240
to 275)
6832·0
(6393·8
to 7313·1)
1·30
(1·18
to 1·42)
39·7
(36·0
to 43·6)
51·1
(44·5
to 59·5)
1459·1
(1267·4
to 1706·6)
0·345
(0·231
to 0·493)
9·2
(6·1
to 13·1)
51·4
(44·8
to 59·9)
1468·2
(1277·3
to 1716·1)
Percentage change 2010-19
Both Sexes
11·2%
(9·1
to 13·6)
–4·1%
(–5·8
to –2·2)
11·8%
(9·7
to 14·2)
–4·0%
(–5·7
to –2·2)
–2·1%
(–8·5
to 4·7)
–18·4%
(–23·6
to –12·4)
–23·6%
(–32·2
to –13·2)
–28·9%
(–37·2
to –18·6)
10·4%
(8·2
to 13·0)
–4·4%
(–6·3
to –2·3)
–23·5%
(–32·0
to –13·2)
–28·8%
(–37·0
to –18·6)
Females
10·5%
(8·5
to 12·8)
–5·0%
(–6·6
to –3·2)
10·8%
(8·7
to 13·1)
–5·1%
(–6·8
to –3·4)
–0·7%
(–8·3
to 6·6)
–18·5%
(–25·1
to –11·8)
–23·4%
(–32·7
to –13·1)
–28·9%
(–37·8
to –18·8)
9·7%
(7·2
to 12·4)
–5·3%
(–7·3
to –3·2)
–23·3%
(–32·5
to –13·0)
–28·8%
(–37·7
to –18·7)
Males
11·8%
(9·6
to 14·5)
–3·2%
(–5·0
to –1·2)
12·6%
(10·3
to 15·3)
–3·0%
(–4·8
to –1·0)
–3·4%
(–9·9
to 3·7)
–18·3%
(–23·2
to –12·8)
–23·8%
(–32·0
to –13·6)
–28·8%
(–36·5
to –19·0)
11·0%
(8·5
to 13·9)
–3·5%
(–5·7
to –1·3)
–23·6%
(–31·8
to –13·5)
–28·6%
(–36·4
to –18·9)
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 3rd 2nd 89th 2nd
2010 4th 3rd 96th 4th
2019 4th 4th 96th 4th
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 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