Pancreatic cancer is the 12th most commonly occurring cancer in men and the 11th most commonly occurring cancer in women. There were 460,000 new cases in 2018. The top 20 countries with the highest rates of pancreatic cancer in 2018 are given in the tables below.
The Continuous Update Project Panel judged there is strong evidence that greater body fatness and greater adult attained height increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. There is some evidence that consuming red meat, processed meat, alcoholic drinks, foods containing saturated fatty acids and foods and drinks containing fructose might increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Read about all the evidence in our Third Expert Report.
Age-standardised rates are used in the tables. This is a summary measure of the rate of disease that a population would have if it had a standard age structure. Standardisation is necessary when comparing populations that differ with respect to age because age has a powerful influence on the risk of dying from cancer.
Pancreatic cancer rates: both sexes
Hungary had the highest rate of pancreatic cancer in 2018, followed by Uruguay.
| Rank | Country | Age-standardised rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary | 10.8 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 10.7 |
| 3 | Moldova | 10.5 |
| 3 | Latvia | 10.3 |
| 5 | Japan | 9.7 |
| 6 | Slovakia | 9.6 |
| 7 | Estonia | 9.2 |
| 8 | Czech Republic | 9.0 |
| 9= | Armenia | 8.9 |
| 9= | France (metropolitan) | 8.9 |
| 11 | Serbia | 8.8 |
| 12= | Austria | 8.7 |
| 12= | Belgium | 8.7 |
| 14 | New Caledonia (France) | 8.6 |
| 15 | Bulgaria | 8.4 |
| 16= | Germany | 8.3 |
| 16= | Malta | 8.3 |
| 18 | Slovenia | 8.2 |
| 19= | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 8.0 |
| 19= | Croatia | 8.0 |
| 19= | French Guiana | 8.0 |
Pancreatic cancer rates in men
Latvia and Moldova had the highest rates of pancreatic cancer in men in 2018.
| Rank | Country | Age-standardised rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1= | Latvia | 15.3 |
| 1= | Moldova | 15.3 |
| 3 | Estonia | 14.2 |
| 4 | Hungary | 12.9 |
| 5 | Uruguay | 12.0 |
| 6 | Slovakia | 11.9 |
| 7 | Japan | 11.7 |
| 8 | Armenia | 11.5 |
| 9 | Bulgaria | 11.4 |
| 10 | Czech Republic | 11.1 |
| 11 | France (metropolitan) | 10.8 |
| 12= | Belarus | 10.5 |
| 12= | Serbia | 10.5 |
| 14 | Ukraine | 10.1 |
| 15 | Croatia | 10.0 |
| 16= | Slovenia | 9.9 |
| 16= | Macedonia | 9.9 |
| 18 | Singapore | 9.8 |
| 19= | Lithuania | 9.7 |
| 19= | Malta | 9.7 |
Pancreatic cancer rates in women
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) had the highest rate of pancreatic cancer in women in 2018, followed by Uruguay.
| Rank | Country | Age-standardised rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAE | 10.1 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 9.6 |
| 2 | Hungary | 9.1 |
| 4 | New Caledonia (France) | 8.1 |
| 5= | Austria | 7.9 |
| 5= | Belgium | 7.9 |
| 7 | Japan | 7.7 |
| 8 | Slovakia | 7.6 |
| 9 | Germany | 7.4 |
| 10 | Samoa | 7.3 |
| 11= | Czech Republic | 7.2 |
| 11= | Serbia | 7.2 |
| 13 | France (metropolitan) | 7.1 |
| 14= | Denmark | 7.0 |
| 14= | Finland | 7.0 |
| 14= | French Guiana | 7.0 |
| 17= | Armenia | 6.9 |
| 17= | Brunei | 6.9 |
| 17= | Malta | 6.9 |
| 17= | Sweden | 6.9 |
