Share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Share of deaths from underlying causes was 31.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Latest (2017)
31.9%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
1st
of 113 countries
All-time high
34.9%
in 2001
All-time low
6.6%
in 1955
Years of data
63
1955–2017
Share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong, 1955–2017
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 31.9% for share of deaths from underlying causes in 2017.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong peaked at 34.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 1955.
Hong Kong ranks 1st of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 6.6% | — |
| 1956 | 7.0% | +6.2% |
| 1957 | 7.6% | +8.1% |
| 1958 | 8.9% | +18.4% |
| 1959 | 9.3% | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 10.5% | +12.9% |
| 1961 | 12.3% | +17.6% |
| 1962 | 12.5% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 13.9% | +11.3% |
| 1964 | 16.4% | +18.2% |
| 1965 | 18.1% | +10.6% |
| 1966 | 17.6% | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 17.4% | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 18.7% | +7.4% |
| 1969 | 20.6% | +10.2% |
| 1970 | 19.2% | -7.2% |
| 1971 | 21.0% | +9.7% |
| 1972 | 20.8% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 21.4% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 21.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 24.2% | +13.2% |
| 1976 | 23.2% | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 24.1% | +4.0% |
| 1978 | 26.2% | +8.7% |
| 1979 | 23.7% | -9.5% |
| 1980 | 24.8% | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 26.4% | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 26.8% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 27.3% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 28.8% | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 29.8% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 31.0% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 30.7% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 29.9% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 30.2% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 29.8% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 30.9% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 29.8% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 31.1% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 31.4% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 31.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 31.9% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 32.5% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 33.0% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 33.3% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 33.4% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 34.9% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 34.6% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 32.3% | -6.6% |
| 2004 | 32.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 32.5% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 32.9% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 31.6% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 30.7% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 32.0% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 31.3% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 32.0% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 31.2% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 32.0% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 30.9% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 31.3% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.9% | 6.6% | 9.3% | 5 |
| 1960s | 15.8% | 10.5% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.5% | 19.2% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.6% | 24.8% | 31.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.5% | 29.8% | 33.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.7% | 30.7% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 30.9% | 32.0% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
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Frequently asked questions
- What is share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong?
- Share of deaths from underlying causes in Hong Kong was 31.9% in 2017, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of deaths from underlying causes recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 34.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of deaths from underlying causes recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 1955.
- How does Hong Kong rank for share of deaths from underlying causes?
- Hong Kong ranks 1st out of 113 countries with data for 2017.
- Is share of deaths from underlying causes rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Hong Kong data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of deaths from underlying causes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Based on the underlying cause listed on death certificates.