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 … total: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 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 | Cote d'Ivoire | 53.2% | 2021 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 26 | Eswatini | 51.6% | 2021 | down 19.6% | falling |
| 27 | Tanzania | 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 | 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 | East Timor | 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 | 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 | Laos | 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 | Russia | 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 | 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 | 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 | Turkey | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | South Korea | 14.7% | 2021 | up 104.4% | rising |
| 160 | Brunei | 14.4% | 2021 | up 29.6% | rising |
| 161 | Micronesia (country) | 14.1% | 2021 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 162 | Syria | 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 | North Korea | 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 | Vietnam | 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.
- Africa Western and Central 59.0%
- Pre-demographic dividend 55.2%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 54.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 54.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 54.7%
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 51.8%
- Africa Eastern and Southern 51.7%
- Low income 49.5%
- IDA blend 48.8%
- Least developed countries 46.6%
- IDA total 46.2%
- IDA only 44.8%
- Lower middle income 39.5%
- South Asia 37.3%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 37.3%
- Early-demographic dividend 35.7%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 35.2%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 34.6%
- Latin America & Caribbean 34.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 30.6%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 30.6%
- Low & middle income 30.2%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 30.1%
- IDA & IBRD total 29.9%
- Caribbean Small States 29.1%
- Arab World 29.1%
- Middle income 28.1%
- World 27.4%
- Other small states 26.7%
- Small states 26.6%
- IBRD only 25.2%
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 23.8%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 22.4%
- Pacific island small states 21.2%
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 21.2%
- Europe & Central Asia 19.6%
- Upper middle income 18.1%
- OECD members 17.5%
- High income 17.2%
- European Union 16.0%
About this data
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.