Cancer trends

The global increase in cases of cancer is due to several factors: they include population growth and ageing, as well as the change in certain causes of cancer linked to social and economic development including diet, nutrition and physical activity. Changing our diet and physical activity, in a way that reduces the likelihood of cancer development, has the potential to cut this rise in cancer cases.

Worldwide data by cancer type

There were an estimated 18m cancer cases around the world in 2020: 9.5m cases in men and 8.5m in women. Find out which are the most common cancers globally.

Understand the data

Global cancer rates by country

Which country has the highest cancer rates? Find age-standardised rates for all cancers ordered by the countries with the 50 highest rates

Where do countries rank?

Comparing cancer rates across countries

Explore how the rates of different cancer types vary across countries with varying levels of development

What UN data tells us

Bladder cancer statistics

Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide, with more than 573,000 new cases in 2020

Understand the data

Breast cancer statistics

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with more than 2.26 million new cases in 2020

What the data tells us

Cervical cancer statistics

Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women, with more than 604,000 new cases in 2020

What the data tells us

Colorectal cancer statistics

Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer worldwide, with more than 1.9 million new cases in 2020

Find out more

Endometrial cancer statistics

Endometrial cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women, with more than 417,000 new cases in 2020

How the numbers stack up

Gallbladder cancer statistics

There were more than 115,000 new cases of gallbladder cancer in 2020.

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Kidney cancer statistics

There were more than 400,000 new reported cases of kidney cancer worldwide in 2018

Examine the data

Liver cancer statistics

Liver cancer is the 6th most common cancer in men worldwide. Globally, there were more than 840,000 new cases in 2018.

How the numbers stack up

Lung cancer statistics

Lung cancer is the 2nd most common cancer worldwide, with 2m new cases in 2018

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Mouth and oral cancer statistics

There were more than 377,000 new cases of cancer of the lip and oral cavity worldwide in 2020

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Nasopharyngeal cancer statistics

Nasopharyngeal cancer is the 22nd most common cancer worldwide with more than 133,000 new cases in 2020

How the numbers stack up

Oesophageal cancer statistics

Oesophageal cancer is the 8th most common cancer worldwide, with more than 600,000 new cases in 2020

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Ovarian cancer statistics

Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common cancer in women worldwide, with more than 313,000 new cases in 2020.

Where is it most common?

Pancreatic cancer statistics

Nasopharyngeal cancer is the 12th most common cancer worldwide. There were more than 495,000 new cases in 2020

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Prostate cancer statistics

Prostate cancer affects more men than any other cancer, except lung cancer, with 1.4m new cases in 2020

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Skin cancer statistics

There were more than 150,000 new cases of melanoma of skin in 2020. Non-melanoma skin cancer cases are not reported

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Stomach cancer statistics

With more than 1 million new cases of stomach cancer in 2020, it’s the 5th most common cancer type worldwide

Where is it most prevalent?

Cancer survival statistics

Why do cancer survival rates vary across both countries and cancer types?

We have some answers