Cancer rates by Human Development Index
Overall, cancer incidence is higher in more developed countries, but rates of cancer are rising in many lower income countries.
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On this page you can find out about differences in cancer incidence and mortality between more and less developed regions.
Overall, the number of cancer cases and the age-standardised cancer rate (including non-melanoma skin cancer) is higher in more developed countries. There were an estimated 9,296,171 cases in areas with very high human development, compared with 812,211 in areas with low human development in 2022. The age standardised rate for all cancers was 285.7 (per 100,000) in areas with very high human development, compared to 110.6 (per 100,000) in areas with low human development in 2022.
There are also more deaths from cancer in more developed areas. There were an estimated 96 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people in areas with very high human development, compared with 77.3 in areas with low human development in 2022.
Age-standardised rates (ASR) are 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 developing/dying from cancer.
It is important to note that some countries have a high ASR but a low total number of cases, while other have a low ASR but a high number of cases. This is because ASRs are reported per 100,000 people. So, for example, an ASR of 10 in a population of 100,000 = 10 cases of cancer, but an ASR of 1 in a population of 10 million = 100 cases.
Estimated cancer incidence, including non-melanoma skin cancer, both sexes
| Population | Number | ASR (World) |
|---|---|---|
| Very high HDI country | 9,296,171 | 285.7 |
| High HDI country | 7,436,122 | 187.5 |
| Medium HDI country | 2,424,245 | 112.3 |
| Low HDI country | 812,211 | 196.9 |
| Total | 19,968,749 | 196.9 |
Estimated cancer incidence, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, both cancers
| Rank (men) | Country | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Very high HDI country | 8,252,293 | 261.3 |
| High HDI county | 7,292,320 | 184.2 |
| Medium HDI country | 2,396,040 | 111.0 |
| Low HDI country | 794,057 | 108.1 |
| Total | 18,734,710 | 186.5 |
Estimated cancer mortality, including non-melanoma skin cancer, both sexes
| Population | Number | ASR/100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Very high HDI country | 3,643,502 | 96.0 |
| High HDI country | 3,991,272 | 94.5 |
| Medium HDI country | 1,560,054 | 73.1 |
| Low HDI country | 544,600 | 77.3 |
| Total | 9,739,428 | 91.7 |
Estimated cancer mortality, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, both sexes
| Population | Number | ASR/100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Very high HDI country | 3,619,668 | 95.5 |
| High HDI country | 3,963,867 | 93.9 |
| Medium HDI country | 1,550,012 | 72.6 |
| Low HDI country | 536,496 | 76.0 |
| Total | 9,670,043 | 91.1 |
Notes
The Human Development Index measures average achievement in three key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living.
The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth. The education dimension is measured by mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more, and expected years of schooling for children. The standard of living dimension is measured by gross national income per capita.
The scores for the three indices are then aggregated into a composite index. The Human Development Index captures only part of what human development entails. It does not reflect on inequalities, poverty, human security, empowerment or many other factors. More information can be found here.
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