Mortality and global health estimates
Causes of death: Ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive lung disease and lower respiratory infections have remained the top killers during the past decade. Chronic diseases cause increasing numbers of deaths worldwide. Diabetes caused 1.6 million (2.8%) deaths in 2015, up from 1.0 million (1.8%) deaths in 2000. Deaths due to dementias more than doubled between 2000 and 2015, making it the 7th leading cause of global deaths in 2015. Injuries continue to kill 5 million people each year. Road traffic injuries claimed about 3700 lives each day in 2015, about three-quarters of whom were men and boys.
fact buffet
Life expectancy
72.0 yearswas the average life expectancy at birth of the global population in 2016
Life expectancy at birthMortality
5.6 millionchildren under age five died in 2016,
nearly 15 000 every day
Causes of death
56%deaths in the WHO African Region in 2015 were due to communicable, maternal, perinatal or nutritional conditions
Top 10 causes of death