Deaths from cancer in United States

United States: Deaths from cancer was 617,145 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
617,145 deaths
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
3rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
617,597 deaths
in 2020
All-time low
563,928 deaths
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Deaths from cancer in United States, 2000–2021

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2000201020212000: 563.9k deaths2001: 564.9k deaths2002: 567.6k deaths2003: 567.4k deaths2004: 564.1k deaths2005: 570.0k deaths2006: 570.4k deaths2007: 574.0k deaths2008: 577.6k deaths2009: 580.4k deaths2010: 587.5k deaths2011: 589.8k deaths2012: 596.3k deaths2013: 598.0k deaths2014: 604.2k deaths2015: 608.6k deaths2016: 611.3k deaths2017: 612.4k deaths2018: 612.6k deaths2019: 616.8k deaths2020: 617.6k deaths2021: 617.1k deaths

Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.

Analysis

The most recent figure for deaths from cancer in United States is 617,145 deaths, measured in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deaths from cancer in United States peaked at 617,597 deaths in 2020 and was at its lowest, 563,928 deaths, in 2000.

That places United States 3rd out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Deaths from cancer in United States, year by year

Annual values for Deaths from cancer in United States, 2000 to 2021.
Year deaths Change
2000 563,928 deaths
2001 564,869 deaths +0.2%
2002 567,572 deaths +0.5%
2003 567,438 deaths -0.0%
2004 564,120 deaths -0.6%
2005 570,001 deaths +1.0%
2006 570,444 deaths +0.1%
2007 573,988 deaths +0.6%
2008 577,640 deaths +0.6%
2009 580,393 deaths +0.5%
2010 587,465 deaths +1.2%
2011 589,801 deaths +0.4%
2012 596,277 deaths +1.1%
2013 597,998 deaths +0.3%
2014 604,235 deaths +1.0%
2015 608,646 deaths +0.7%
2016 611,316 deaths +0.4%
2017 612,387 deaths +0.2%
2018 612,593 deaths +0.0%
2019 616,795 deaths +0.7%
2020 617,597 deaths +0.1%
2021 617,145 deaths -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 570,039 deaths 563,928 deaths 580,393 deaths 10
2010s 603,751 deaths 587,465 deaths 616,795 deaths 10
2020s 617,371 deaths 617,145 deaths 617,597 deaths 2

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 1 China 2.71 million deaths compare
  2. 2 India 1.02 million deaths compare
  3. 4 Japan 443,071 deaths compare
  4. 5 Russia 307,195 deaths compare
  5. 6 Brazil 245,810 deaths compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More health data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is deaths from cancer in United States?
Deaths from cancer in United States was 617,145 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deaths from cancer recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 617,597 deaths in 2020.
What is the lowest deaths from cancer recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 563,928 deaths in 2000.
How does United States rank for deaths from cancer?
United States ranks 3rd out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
Is deaths from cancer rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths from cancer. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Deaths from cancer in United States. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/deaths-from-cancer-who/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Deaths from cancer
Unit
deaths
Source
World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,268 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

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