Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total) by country

Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions include infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory infections, and nutritional deficiencies such as underweight and stunting.

Countries reporting
185
Highest
66.4%
Chad
Lowest
2.6%
Finland
Median
26.0%
Years covered
22
2000–2021
Data points
1,392

What the numbers show

Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total) is currently reported for 185 countries. The highest value is 66.4% in Chad; the lowest is 2.6% in Finland.

The median across all reporting countries is 26.0%, and the mean is 30.0%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 26.

Over the past decade 116 countries rose and 69 fell. The largest increase was in Serbia (up 1,541.8%), and the largest decrease in China (down 35.4%).

Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Chad 66.4% 2021 down 8.4% falling
2 Central African Republic 66.3% 2021 down 9.2% falling
3 Niger 65.7% 2021 down 11.0% falling
4 Somalia 63.8% 2021 down 10.5% falling
5 Nigeria 63.7% 2021 down 12.3% falling
6 Equatorial Guinea 61.4% 2021 down 8.6% falling
7 Mali 60.6% 2021 down 10.0% falling
8 South Sudan 60.4% 2021 down 15.7% falling
9 Mozambique 59.7% 2021 down 14.7% falling
10 Guinea-Bissau 59.1% 2021 down 9.5% falling
11 Zambia 58.8% 2021 down 18.2% falling
12 Botswana 58.6% 2021 down 1.0% falling
13 Congo 58.6% 2021 up 1.4% falling
14 Sierra Leone 57.6% 2021 down 15.7% falling
15 Liberia 57.0% 2021 down 9.5% falling
16 Guinea 56.9% 2021 down 8.9% falling
17 Angola 56.4% 2021 down 16.4% falling
18 Namibia 56.1% 2021 down 3.5% falling
19 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 56.0% 2021 down 14.3% falling
20 Gabon 54.6% 2021 up 2.3% falling
21 Cameroon 54.5% 2021 down 14.4% falling
22 Lesotho 54.1% 2021 down 9.7% falling
23 Peru 53.6% 2021 up 80.1% rising
24 Benin 53.4% 2021 down 12.0% falling
25 Côte d'Ivoire 53.2% 2021 down 21.3% falling
26 Eswatini 51.6% 2021 down 19.6% falling
27 Tanzania, United Republic of 51.4% 2021 down 25.1% falling
28 Burkina Faso 51.0% 2021 down 21.9% falling
29 Uganda 50.8% 2021 down 24.7% falling
30 Malawi 50.7% 2021 down 23.7% falling
31 Madagascar 50.4% 2021 down 3.0% falling
32 Kenya 50.3% 2021 down 24.5% falling
33 Gambia 50.2% 2021 down 14.7% falling
34 Burundi 50.2% 2021 down 20.7% falling
35 Zimbabwe 49.4% 2021 down 23.0% falling
36 Ethiopia 48.1% 2021 down 23.6% falling
37 Mauritania 46.8% 2021 down 9.8% falling
38 South Africa 46.4% 2021 down 13.2% falling
39 Togo 45.4% 2021 down 21.4% falling
40 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 44.9% 2021 up 56.1% flat
41 Paraguay 44.7% 2021 up 153.8% rising
42 Sudan 44.4% 2021 down 9.6% falling
43 Guyana 44.0% 2021 up 96.0% rising
44 Nicaragua 43.3% 2021 up 144.4% rising
45 Ghana 43.2% 2021 down 21.5% falling
46 Djibouti 41.9% 2021 down 24.6% falling
47 Papua New Guinea 41.1% 2021 down 11.7% falling
48 Timor-Leste 39.4% 2021 down 14.9% falling
49 Afghanistan 39.1% 2021 down 21.1% falling
50 Senegal 39.0% 2021 down 18.3% falling
51 Rwanda 38.9% 2021 down 25.8% falling
52 Mexico 38.8% 2021 up 235.4% volatile
53 India 38.4% 2021 up 4.2% falling
54 Guatemala 37.7% 2021 up 29.9% falling
55 Comoros 37.6% 2021 down 16.1% falling
56 Pakistan 37.3% 2021 down 16.4% falling
57 Suriname 37.0% 2021 up 103.7% flat
58 Eritrea 37.0% 2021 down 17.0% falling
59 Grenada 37.0% 2021 up 250.7% volatile
60 Argentina 35.6% 2021 up 140.1% rising
61 Indonesia 34.7% 2021 up 46.5% falling
62 Cuba 34.6% 2021 up 377.7% volatile
63 Yemen 34.5% 2021 down 11.4% falling
64 Lebanon 34.2% 2021 up 256.4% volatile
65 Brazil 34.1% 2021 up 139.8% rising
66 Oman 33.5% 2021 up 243.6% volatile
67 Colombia 32.6% 2021 up 191.7% rising
68 Saint Lucia 32.6% 2021 up 306.9% volatile
69 Jordan 31.5% 2021 up 116.6% rising
70 Sao Tome and Principe 31.5% 2021 down 25.2% falling
71 Tajikistan 31.4% 2021 up 23.1% falling
72 Nepal 31.3% 2021 down 19.9% falling
73 Tunisia 30.2% 2021 up 258.5% volatile
74 Kiribati 30.1% 2021 up 0.6% falling
75 Slovakia 29.6% 2021 up 482.7% volatile
76 Iran, Islamic Republic of 29.5% 2021 up 213.0% volatile
77 Azerbaijan 29.1% 2021 up 179.5% volatile
78 Haiti 29.0% 2021 up 160.2% falling
79 Ecuador 28.8% 2021 up 77.3% rising
80 Georgia 28.1% 2021 up 800.0% volatile
81 Myanmar 27.7% 2021 down 13.7% falling
82 North Macedonia 27.7% 2021 up 1,339.1% volatile
83 Honduras 27.6% 2021 up 39.6% falling
84 Antigua and Barbuda 27.4% 2021 up 91.2% rising
85 Belize 27.2% 2021 up 47.9% rising
86 Montenegro 27.1% 2021 up 1,538.8% volatile
87 Lao People's Democratic Republic 27.0% 2021 down 29.0% falling
88 Kazakhstan 26.9% 2021 up 319.9% volatile
89 Bangladesh 26.9% 2021 down 19.9% falling
90 Russian Federation 26.9% 2021 up 513.3% volatile
91 Turkmenistan 26.3% 2021 up 9.0% flat
92 Kuwait 26.2% 2021 up 155.3% volatile
93 Panama 26.0% 2021 up 41.9% rising
94 Bahamas 25.9% 2021 up 155.1% falling
95 Serbia 25.8% 2021 up 1,541.8% volatile
96 Seychelles 25.7% 2021 up 101.7% rising
97 Malaysia 25.6% 2021 up 46.7% rising
98 Kyrgyzstan 25.6% 2021 up 94.3% rising
99 Palestine, State of 25.4% 2021 up 48.5% flat
100 Philippines 25.4% 2021 down 10.7% falling
101 Egypt 25.3% 2021 up 78.8% falling
102 Cambodia 25.1% 2021 down 20.9% falling
103 Armenia 24.6% 2021 up 471.8% volatile
104 Costa Rica 24.4% 2021 up 247.3% volatile
105 Romania 24.3% 2021 up 607.4% volatile
106 Republic of Moldova 23.8% 2021 up 395.7% volatile
107 Poland 23.7% 2021 up 498.4% volatile
108 Solomon Islands 23.5% 2021 down 4.9% falling
109 Czechia 23.5% 2021 up 412.6% volatile
110 Cape Verde 23.3% 2021 down 6.1% falling
111 Albania 23.0% 2021 up 479.6% volatile
112 Fiji 22.4% 2021 up 126.2% rising
113 Türkiye 22.3% 2021 up 282.7% volatile
114 Dominican Republic 22.1% 2021 down 10.8% falling
115 Uruguay 22.0% 2021 up 172.9% volatile
116 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.9% 2021 up 839.8% volatile
117 Libya 21.8% 2021 up 114.6% rising
118 Singapore 21.7% 2021 up 17.0% rising
119 Bulgaria 21.6% 2021 up 799.7% volatile
120 El Salvador 21.6% 2021 up 83.8% falling
121 Chile 21.3% 2021 up 159.5% rising
122 Trinidad and Tobago 21.1% 2021 up 108.4% falling
123 Iraq 20.1% 2021 down 16.4% falling
124 Greece 19.5% 2021 up 239.7% rising
125 Thailand 19.2% 2021 up 0.9% falling
126 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19.0% 2021 up 19.3% falling
127 Israel 19.0% 2021 up 134.9% rising
128 Bhutan 18.4% 2021 down 33.5% falling
129 Ukraine 18.3% 2021 up 249.2% volatile
130 Qatar 17.9% 2021 up 201.0% rising
131 Hungary 17.9% 2021 up 1,095.4% volatile
132 Belgium 17.9% 2021 up 143.0% volatile
133 Vanuatu 17.6% 2021 down 4.9% falling
134 Maldives 17.6% 2021 up 76.0% falling
135 Slovenia 17.3% 2021 up 351.1% volatile
136 Lithuania 17.2% 2021 up 603.4% volatile
137 Bahrain 17.2% 2021 up 194.3% volatile
138 Algeria 17.1% 2021 up 7.2% flat
139 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 17.0% 2021 up 129.5% rising
140 Morocco 17.0% 2021 up 10.0% falling
141 United Arab Emirates 16.8% 2021 up 59.4% rising
142 Jamaica 16.7% 2021 up 32.2% falling
143 United States of America 16.5% 2021 up 187.6% volatile
144 Netherlands 16.5% 2021 up 154.9% volatile
145 Saudi Arabia 16.5% 2021 up 38.9% falling
146 Barbados 16.4% 2021 up 70.1% flat
147 Belarus 16.0% 2021 up 679.8% volatile
148 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 16.0% 2021 up 45.1% falling
149 Portugal 15.4% 2021 up 65.8% rising
150 Sri Lanka 15.4% 2021 up 115.7% rising
151 Croatia 15.3% 2021 up 805.3% volatile
152 Mauritius 15.3% 2021 up 66.0% rising
153 Mongolia 15.2% 2021 up 52.9% falling
154 Italy 15.0% 2021 up 312.3% volatile
155 Luxembourg 14.9% 2021 up 142.3% volatile
156 Latvia 14.8% 2021 up 521.8% volatile
157 Ireland 14.7% 2021 up 131.6% rising
158 France 14.7% 2021 up 144.3% rising
159 Korea 14.7% 2021 up 104.4% rising
160 Brunei Darussalam 14.4% 2021 up 29.6% rising
161 Micronesia, Federated States of 14.1% 2021 down 24.1% falling
162 Syrian Arab Republic 13.2% 2021 up 14.5% falling
163 Cyprus 13.0% 2021 up 230.9% rising
164 Malta 12.9% 2021 up 147.1% rising
165 Estonia 12.9% 2021 up 532.7% volatile
166 Spain 12.8% 2021 up 177.6% volatile
167 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 12.6% 2021 down 16.2% volatile
168 Puerto Rico 12.4% 2021 up 35.1% flat
169 Switzerland 12.4% 2021 up 242.5% volatile
170 Viet Nam 12.4% 2021 down 1.2% falling
171 Uzbekistan 12.4% 2021 up 25.7% falling
172 Austria 11.3% 2021 up 306.2% volatile
173 Samoa 10.8% 2021 down 13.6% falling
174 Germany 10.7% 2021 up 128.7% rising
175 Sweden 10.7% 2021 up 135.2% rising
176 Tonga 10.0% 2021 down 14.7% falling
177 Japan 9.9% 2021 down 27.1% falling
178 Denmark 9.1% 2021 up 37.3% rising
179 Canada 8.4% 2021 up 60.0% rising
180 Norway 7.6% 2021 up 10.8% flat
181 New Zealand 4.5% 2021 up 24.0% rising
182 Iceland 4.2% 2021 down 8.7% falling
183 Australia 4.2% 2021 up 5.5% flat
184 China 3.2% 2021 down 35.4% falling
185 Finland 2.6% 2021 up 26.2% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and by country. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/cause-of-death-by-communicable-diseases-and-maternal-prenatal-and-nutrition-conditions/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/cause-of-death-by-communicable-diseases-and-maternal-prenatal-and-nutrition-conditions/">Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and by country</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total)
Unit
% of total
Source
Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
232 places, 1,392 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions include infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory infections, and nutritional deficiencies such as underweight and stunting.