Summary Malaria was responsible for 643 000 deaths (95% UI 302 000–1 150 000) in 2019. 356 000 deaths (169 000–626 000) occurred in children under 5 years, comprising 7·1% (4·0–10·4) of total deaths in that age group.
Definition This cause incorporates death and disability resulting from acute infection for both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and the long-term neurological consequences in a proportion of children who survive cerebral malaria.
Total sources | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incidence | 4089 | |||||||||||
Prevalence | 1616 | |||||||||||
Remission | 0 | |||||||||||
Causes of death | 3877 | |||||||||||
Other | 5354 | |||||||||||
Table 1:
Total sources used in GBD 2019 estimation
What is new in GBD 2019?
- •Seven new national Plasmodium parasite rate surveys were added, amounting to 1929 household cluster points.
- •An annual update for routine surveillance data (reported incidence) was completed for all malaria-endemic countries.
- •New net delivery and use data for insecticide-treated bednets were acquired and models updated.
- •A new model for effective treatment with an antimalarial drug was developed, which included sub-models for treatment seeking, drug-specific treatment failure, and proportional drug use.
- •New intervention data for indoor residual spraying were obtained and mapped.
- •A global case fatality rate approach was implemented to standardise mortality estimation methods in all endemic countries.
Prevalence
|
Incidence
|
Deaths
|
YLLs
|
YLDs
|
DALYs
|
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | 181 (163 to 203) |
2466·3 (2226·8 to 2773·0) |
231 (186 to 290) |
3247·0 (2602·1 to 4109·6) |
0·643 (0·302 to 1·15) |
9·0 (4·2 to 16·0) |
43·8 (21·1 to 78·0) |
632·0 (305·3 to 1122·5) |
2·61 (1·82 to 3·65) |
36·2 (25·1 to 50·6) |
46·4 (23·5 to 80·1) |
668·1 (337·3 to 1152·2) |
Females | 91·3 (82·3 to 103) |
2541·6 (2294·0 to 2858·1) |
116 (93·2 to 145) |
3334·4 (2666·8 to 4223·5) |
0·310 (0·147 to 0·550) |
8·8 (4·2 to 15·6) |
21·4 (10·3 to 37·0) |
636·4 (307·6 to 1102·7) |
1·57 (1·09 to 2·21) |
43·9 (30·4 to 61·8) |
22·9 (11·8 to 38·7) |
680·3 (348·5 to 1148·6) |
Males | 89·4 (80·7 to 100) |
2394·4 (2161·9 to 2689·4) |
116 (92·9 to 145) |
3164·0 (2537·4 to 4001·6) |
0·334 (0·156 to 0·600) |
9·1 (4·3 to 16·3) |
22·5 (10·7 to 39·9) |
628·9 (300·0 to 1117·9) |
1·04 (0·720 to 1·46) |
28·6 (19·8 to 40·2) |
23·5 (11·7 to 41·0) |
657·5 (327·1 to 1151·5) |
Percentage change 2010-19 | ||||||||||||
Both Sexes | –2·1% (–12·2 to 10·1) |
–7·8% (–17·4 to 3·7) |
–12·3% (–23·3 to –2·1) |
–16·3% (–27·2 to –6·2) |
–29·3% (–53·1 to 1·1) |
–34·4% (–56·5 to –6·1) |
–33·4% (–55·7 to –4·6) |
–36·1% (–57·6 to –8·6) |
–5·9% (–13·3 to 3·3) |
–10·8% (–17·8 to –2·1) |
–32·3% (–53·9 to –4·5) |
–35·1% (–55·8 to –8·6) |
Females | –1·4% (–11·8 to 10·8) |
–7·3% (–16·9 to 4·4) |
–11·9% (–22·8 to –1·7) |
–16·0% (–26·9 to –5·9) |
–29·7% (–53·1 to 0·1) |
–34·9% (–56·4 to –7·7) |
–34·2% (–56·0 to –6·7) |
–36·8% (–57·7 to –10·7) |
–3·3% (–10·9 to 5·8) |
–8·6% (–15·9 to 0·1) |
–32·7% (–53·5 to –6·5) |
–35·5% (–55·6 to –10·5) |
Males | –2·7% (–12·7 to 9·3) |
–8·3% (–17·8 to 2·9) |
–12·7% (–23·7 to –2·4) |
–16·6% (–27·5 to –6·5) |
–28·9% (–53·0 to 3·0) |
–34·1% (–56·5 to –4·8) |
–32·6% (–55·6 to –3·3) |
–35·5% (–57·4 to –7·2) |
–9·6% (–16·8 to –0·6) |
–13·9% (–20·8 to –5·2) |
–31·9% (–53·7 to –3·4) |
–34·8% (–55·7 to –7·3) |
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 combined, females, and males, 2019, with percentage change between 2010 and 2019
Deaths | YLLs | YLDs | DALYs | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | 12th | 9th | 53rd | 10th | ||||||||
2010 | 16th | 7th | 54th | 8th | ||||||||
2019 | 21st | 11th | 58th | 15th | ||||||||
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:
Age-standardised DALY rates for each location by SDI, both sexes combined, 2019

Figure 3:
Composition of DALYs by YLLs and YLDs, age group, and sex, 2019


Figure 4:
Age-standardised DALY rates (per 100 000) by location, both sexes combined, 2019