UK cancer statistics
Find the latest cancer statistics for the UK, including incidence and mortality, and how to prevent cancer. 1 in 2 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
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Cancer in the UK
In the most recently-available data*, there were 423,884 cases of cancer in the UK. Of these, 222,874 were in men and 201,010 in women.
Compared with the 2021 data, this is an increase of just over 28,700 cases (around 7.25%). Cases in men have slightly increased around 11% (up from 200,870), and cases in women have gone up by 3.4% (up from 194,311).
Although there are very subtle differences, “incidence” and “cases” broadly mean the same thing, and refer to the total recorded numbers. Prevalence refers to the proportion of a population who have cancer over a specified period of time.
| No. of cases | Cancer incidence | Cancer mortality |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 423,884 | 168,697 |
| Men | 222,874 | 89,908 |
| Women | 201,010 | 78,789 |
Most common cancers
The table below shows the most common 15 cancer types in the UK, based on new cases diagnosed in 2022 and 2023†.
The top 4 cancer types accounted for more than half (54%) the total number of new cases in the UK.
| Ranking | Cancer type | New cases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prostate | 68,218 |
| 2 | Breast | 60,763 |
| 3 | Lung | 51,314 |
| 4 | Bowel | 49,364 |
| 5 | Skin (melanoma) | 21,892 |
| 6 | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 13,881 |
| 7 | Kidney | 13,435 |
| 8 | Pancreas | 11,935 |
| 9 | Head and neck | 11,575 |
| 10 | Womb (uterus) | 11,118 |
| 11 | Bladder | 11,082 |
| 12 | Leukaemia | 10,326 |
| 13 | Oesophagus | 9,559 |
| 14 | Liver | 7,391 |
| 15 | Ovary | 7,223 |
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the UK, with 60,763 new cases according to the most recent data. Three in 10 new cases of cancer in women were breast cancer (30.2%).
Breast cancer is rare in men, with around 500 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK.
The most common cancers for women in the UK
| Cancer type | New cases 2022 / 2023* |
|---|---|
| Breast | 60,763 |
| Lung | 25,761 |
| Bowel | 22,141 |
| Womb (uterus) | 11,118 |
| Skin (melanoma) | 10,511 |
| Ovary | 7,223 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 5,942 |
| Pancreas | 5,756 |
| Kidney | 4,833 |
| Leukaemia | 4,132 |
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK. According to the most recently-available data, there were 68,218 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed – more than 3 in 10 (30.6%) of all new cases of cancer in men in the UK.
The most common cancers for men in the UK
| Cancer type | New cases 2022 / 2023 * |
|---|---|
| Prostate | 68,218 |
| Bowel | 27,223 |
| Lung | 25,553 |
| Skin (melanoma) | 11,381 |
| Kidney | 8,602 |
| Bladder | 7,971 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 7,939 |
| Head and neck | 7,668 |
| Oesophagus | 6,670 |
| Pancreas | 6,179 |
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the 3rd most common type of cancer in the UK across men and women, with 51,314 new cases – totalling 12.1% of all new cases (men and women combined).
Bowel cancer
Also known as colorectal cancer, bowel cancer is the cancer type with the 4th highest number of new cases in the UK. According to the most-recently available data, there were 49,364 new cases (men and women combined), accounting for 11.6% of the total number of new cases.
Cancer mortality
In the UK, there were 168,697 cancer deaths according to the most recently available data‡. Of these cancer deaths, 89,908 were in men, and 78,789 were in women. That’s more than 462 deaths every day.
It’s notable that cancer deaths have fallen very slightly since 2021 (when there were 168,973 recorded) – this represents a drop of 0.1%.
| Cancer type | Number of deaths |
|---|---|
| All cancers | 168,697 |
| Lung | 32,479 |
| Bowel | 17,915 |
| Prostate | 12,440 |
| Breast | 11,289 |
| Pancreas | 10,325 |
| Oesophagus | 7,767 |
| Liver | 6,494 |
| Bladder | 5,844 |
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma | 5,187 |
| Leukaemia | 4,905 |
| Brain | 4,515 |
| Kidney | 4,170 |
| Lip, oral cavity and pharynx | 3,874 |
| Ovary | 3,772 |
| Stomach | 3,628 |
| Multiple Myeloma | 3,101 |
| Womb (uterus) | 2,806 |
| Skin (melanoma) | 2,744 |
| Cervix | 882 |
| Gallbladder | 746 |
| Thyroid | 466 |
-
Notes on the data
- Last updated and reviewed: March 2026
Incidence data
- England: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023
- Wales: https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/cancer-incidence/
- Scotland: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-incidence-in-scotland/cancer-incidence-in-scotland-to-december-2023/
- NI: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/cancer-information/cancer-data-by-tumour-type/
- Incidence: England and Scotland, 2023. NI and Wales, 2022
- Totals for site-specific cancers do not add up to the overall total because the overall total includes more than just the cancers included here.
- Melanoma referred to as ‘melanoma of the skin’ within Welsh data and ‘malignant melanoma of the skin’ in Scottish data.
- Multiple myeloma referred to as ‘multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms’ in Scottish data.
- Liver referred to as ‘liver and intrahepatic bile ducts’ in Scottish data.
- Brain referred to as ‘malignant brain cancer’ in Scottish data.
- Lung is referred to as ‘trachea, bronchus and lung’ in Scottish data.
- Gallbladder data not available within Scottish data release.
- Non-melanoma skin cancer not included in totals as it is a very common cancer with very low mortality. Also commonly treated outside of the hospital setting unlike other cancer types.
- Melanoma SC referred to as ‘melanoma of the skin’ in Welsh data.
- Multiple myeloma referred to as ‘myeloma’ in Welsh data.
- Uterus referred to as ‘uterine’ in NI data.
- Melanoma SC referred to as ‘malignant melanoma in NI data.
- Pancreas referred to as ‘pancreatic’ in NI data.
- NI reports head and neck in place of lip, oral cavity and pharynx and nasopharynx
- Oesophagus referred to as ‘oesophageal’ in NI data.
- NI reports brain cancer including central nervous system in place of brain.
- NI reports gall bladder and other biliary cancer.
Mortality data
- England: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2023
Wales: https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/cancer-mortality/
Scotland: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-mortality/cancer-mortality-in-scotland-annual-update-to-2024/
NI: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/cancer-information/cancer-data-by-tumour-type/ - Mortality: Wales and Scotland, 2024. England, 2023. NI, 2022.
- Northern Ireland: mortality data for thyroid cancer by sex is not available.
The overall result for Northern Ireland for breast cancer only includes cases among women.
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How to prevent cancer
Cancer is the cause of death for a large number of people each year. Overall, scientists estimate that around 40% of cancer cases could be prevented. That’s around 158,000 cases every year in the UK.
Different factors can influence your chances of developing cancer. However, there are steps that can be taken to help people reduce that risk.
Alongside not smoking, eating a healthy diet, being more active each day and maintaining a healthy weight are important ways you can reduce your cancer risk.
Cancer statistics based on combined data from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Complied by World Cancer Research Fund, 2026.
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