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Crude Death Rate per 1k - UN 2020-2025

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Death Rate by Country 2024

The death rate, also known as mortality rate, is the number of the deaths that occur in a particular population during a particular period of time. Typically, death rate is expressed as the number of deaths per one thousand people per year. Countries with high mortality rates and relatively low fertility rates and birth rates face the risk of population decline. Death rates vary significantly between countries, and as a rule, developed countries, have a lower death rate than do developing countries, whose health care networks and facilities are less robust. In fact, many of the least developed countries may struggle to provide basic human needs such as potable water, adequate food, and sanitation, which increases the risk of disease and other health complications. On a global scale, total daily births outpace total daily deaths by a wide margin, though this is expected to decrease over the coming century.

Factors that influence a country's death rate

Proper diet and exercise, clean water, and quality health care are the factors that have the greatest impact on mortality rates. Diet and exercise are particularly important: According to the Global Health Data Exchange, cardiovascular disease—which is typically caused by obesity stemming from unhealthy eating habits—was the leading cause of death worldwide from 1990-2019. Diabetes, which is also diet-related, ranked 9th. While it would be reasonable to suspect that developed countries would also be the most obese countries and countries with the highest diabetes rates due to the abundance of processed and "junk" food, they actually tend to also be among the healthiest countries in the world thanks to their more advanced health care systems. That said, even the most modernized health care system has its limits. As such, cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the world, especially in countries with high rates of smoking and/or alcoholism.

Mortality rates can also see temporary spikes due to less predictable causes of death. Particularly in countries at war or undergoing some other form of civil unrest, gun deaths can boost mortality rates. So can outbreaks of disease. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to create a significant spike in 2020-21 mortality data.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Death Rates (per 1,000 people) — United Nations 2015-2020:

Country
Crude Death Rate per 1k - UN 2015-2020
Bulgaria15.40
Ukraine15.20
Latvia14.60
Lesotho14.30
Lithuania13.60
Serbia13.20
Croatia13.10
Romania13.00
Georgia12.80
Russia12.70

1. Bulgaria

Bulgaria has the highest mortality rate in the world at 15.4 deaths per 1,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, the causes of death in Bulgaria are similar to those in other European countries, including non-communicable diseases (diseases of the circulatory, digestive, or respiratory systems) and cancers. Bulgaria is currently experiencing a population decline, starting at about 9 million in 2000 and is expected to fall to between 2.8 million and 5 million.

2. Ukraine

Ukraine has the second-highest mortality rate of 15.2 deaths per 1,000 people. Ukraine is considered to be in a demographic crisis because of its high mortality rate and low birth rate. Overall, Ukraine's health care system is poorly financed, and the country has very low vaccination rates and high rates of diseases and disorders that could be better managed with increased funding. One factor contributing to the mortality rate is the high death rate of working-age males from preventable causes such as alcohol poisoning and smoking. Additionally, Ukraine has one of the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemics globally and suffered one of the worst measles epidemics in the world in 2019.

3. Latvia

Latvia's mortality rate is 14.6 per 1,000 people. Latvia also has an underfunded health care system. Although life expectancy has significantly improved in Latvia, the country still lags behind the rest of the European Union, driven by greater exposure to risk factors among men, people with low education, and people with low income. Those with low education levels in Latvia have a life expectancy that is ten years lower than those with high education. Some common risk factors among Latvians are smoking, binge drinking, and obesity.

4. Lesotho

With a mortality rate of 14.3 deaths per 1,000 people, Lesotho has the world's fourth-highest mortality rate. According to the CDC, the life expectancy at birth in Lesotho is 56 years for females and 52 years for males. The infant mortality rate is 59 per 1,000 live births. The leading causes of death are HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, stroke, lower respiratory infections, and ischemic heart disease.

5. Lithuania

Lithuania's death rate is 13.737 deaths per 1,000. The World Health Organization reports that ischemic heart diseases and stroke are the two leading causes of death in Lithuania, with mortality rates four and two times above the average rates in the European Union respectively. Due to high smoking rates, lung cancer is now the third leading cause of death in Lithuania. Lithuania also has the lowest life expectancy in the EU of 74.8 years.

6. Serbia

Serbia's death rate is 13.2 per 1,000, the sixth-highest in the world. According to a study, Serbia's mortality rate was lowest in the 1960s, where it was between 8 and 9 deaths per 1,000. During the beginning 21st century, the rate was much higher, reaching 14 deaths per 1,000 at its highest. Demographically, Serbia is one of the oldest nations in Europe, and its aging population has a large role in its death rate. Additionally, chronic non-communicable diseases and cardiovascular disease are the two leading causes of death. Serbia is also among the world's ten countries with the highest smoking rate.

7. Croatia

Croatia's mortality rate is 13.1 deaths per 1,000 people. The leading causes of death in Croatia are ischemic heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, and lung cancer. About 25% of Croatian citizens smoke tobacco every day, higher than the EU average. Additionally, obesity rates are rising, especially in children, where the rate has grown more than 50% since 2001. While life expectancy has improved since 2000, rising from 74.6 to 78.3, it is still three years below the EU average.

8. Romania

Romania's death rate is the eighth-highest in the world at 13.0 deaths per 1,000. The leading causes of death in Romania are cardiovascular disease, malignant tumors, digestive diseases, accidents, injuries and poisonings, and respiratory diseases. Additionally, the infant mortality rate in Romania is the highest in the EU at about 8 per 1,000. This is often attributed to a shortage of doctors. About 43,000 doctors have left Romania since 2007 to look for opportunities elsewhere.

9. Georgia

Georgia has a mortality rate of 12.8 deaths per 1,000. According to the World Health Organization, the leading causes of death are the same in most European nations: cancer, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive diseases, and injuries and poisoning. The premature mortality rate (for individuals under 65) has increased since 2000, with diseases of the circulatory system and cancers cited as the leading causes of death. Several risk factors for non-communicable diseases are common among the Georgian people, including smoking tobacco, alcohol use, and overweight/obesity. The highest risk factors associated with disease in Georgia are dietary risks, high blood pressure, high body mass index, and tobacco use.

10. Russia

Russia finishes the ten countries with the highest death rates with a death rate of 12.7 per 1,000. More than half of the deaths in Russia are caused by cardiovascular disease. The second-most-common cause of death is cancer, followed by suicide, road accidents, homicide, and alcohol poisoning. Alcohol abuse is a significant problem in Russia, especially for men. The life expectancy is 66.4 years for men and 77.2 years for women.

Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Death Rates (per 1,000 people) — United Nations 2015-2020:

Country
Crude Death Rate per 1k - UN 2015-2020
Qatar1.20
United Arab Emirates1.50
Oman2.40
Bahrain2.40
Kuwait2.70
Maldives2.80
Saudi Arabia3.50
Jordan3.90
Lebanon4.30
Solomon Islands4.30

Countries with low mortality rates have more advanced and accessible health care, better-informed citizens, healthier nutritional options, and higher living standards overall. Qatar has the lowest mortality rate in the world at 1.2 deaths per 1,000 people. This low mortality rate can be attributed to Qatar's improved health care system, renowned for its technologically advanced facilities and ability to deliver some of the world's best patient care.

Download Table Data

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Country
Crude Death Rate per 1k - UN 2020-2025
Crude Death Rate per 1k - UN 2015-2020
Total Deathd - GHDE 2019
Death Rate per 100k - GHDE 2019
Bulgaria15.6015.40124,2261,791
Ukraine15.2015.20698,6631,586
Latvia15.0014.6027,4271,432
Lithuania14.4013.6038,5011,378
Romania13.4013.00262,8111,366
Lesotho13.4014.3032,5141,555
Serbia13.3013.20117,6291,345
Croatia13.3013.1052,3111,231
Russia13.1012.701,788,2861,219
Hungary13.0012.50128,8681,332
Georgia12.7012.8049,4181,348
Belarus12.6012.60121,7771,282
Estonia12.2011.6015,8891,211
Moldova12.0011.6040,9981,112
Germany11.7011.20959,8891,130
Japan11.5010.401,400,0131,096
Bosnia and Herzegovina11.5010.6037,4241,134
Greece11.4010.80128,6691,245
Chad11.3012.20156,649955
Central African Republic11.3012.4067,7551,278
Portugal11.1010.60116,3871,093
Nigeria11.0012.001,593,180742
Italy10.9010.50642,3421,065
Czech Republic10.9010.50113,8031,069
Sierra Leone10.8011.9070,114846
Montenegro10.8010.706,7941,095
Poland10.7010.10406,2771,057
Slovenia10.509.9020,8131,003
North Macedonia10.5010.0024,0471,117
Slovakia10.409.9054,5491,003
Puerto Rico10.30
Somalia10.2010.90184,231906
Finland10.109.7056,1131,014
Austria10.009.9082,490925
Denmark10.009.7055,374954
South Sudan9.9010.6072,739784
Belgium9.809.80114,074999
Aruba9.80
Cuba9.708.90105,984933
Armenia9.709.9027,978927
Martinique9.70
North Korea9.60
Grenada9.609.50819877
United States Virgin Islands9.60
United Kingdom9.509.40621,815925
France9.509.30603,278911
Spain9.509.00428,577931
Uruguay9.509.5033,847985
South Africa9.409.50521,802939
Ivory Coast9.40
Curacao9.40
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines9.409.201,026907
Barbados9.309.003,0931,039
United States9.208.702,946,456898
Netherlands9.208.70157,008915
Sweden9.109.2093,801918
Mauritius9.108.3010,713839
Trinidad and Tobago9.008.3011,765848
Malta9.008.203,780861
Guinea Bissau8.909.7014,816779
Eswatini8.909.4011,5661,013
DR Congo8.80
Guadeloupe8.80
Albania8.707.8022,671833
Mali8.609.80201,433919
Fiji8.608.107,419814
Cameroon8.509.40207,271712
Myanmar8.408.20420,932770
Equatorial Guinea8.409.407,618537
Thailand8.307.60497,502710
Haiti8.308.6099,708804
Benin8.209.0093,065735
Switzerland8.208.0069,817796
Taiwan8.10
Seychelles8.107.80797781
Canada7.907.70288,193789
Togo7.908.6053,555676
Norway7.908.0041,386774
Guyana7.907.406,684867
China7.80
Guinea7.708.50114,265904
Jamaica7.707.6019,658699
Argentina7.607.60348,823773
Mozambique7.608.60264,784897
Zimbabwe7.608.10126,523843
Suriname7.607.304,371759
Saint Lucia7.607.101,406805
India7.407.209,391,549675
Angola7.408.30184,934614
Niger7.408.40202,621870
Namibia7.408.2018,907787
Cyprus7.407.008,707663
Venezuela7.307.00186,929666
Kazakhstan7.307.10139,467758
Burundi7.308.0083,466699
Burkina Faso7.208.30201,814889
Papua New Guinea7.207.5069,785707
Hong Kong7.20
El Salvador7.207.0040,199643
New Zealand7.207.0034,498767
Bahamas7.206.702,731725
Sri Lanka7.106.60135,633621
Turkmenistan7.107.0033,620661
Liberia7.107.6029,750621
Gambia7.10
Luxembourg7.107.104,147670
Ghana7.008.00208,182660
Azerbaijan7.006.8075,129731
Djibouti7.007.107,575630
South Korea6.90
Sudan6.907.20202,165495
Mauritania6.907.3020,981523
Comoros6.907.305,007701
Iceland6.906.702,113613
Micronesia6.906.60939524
Tonga6.907.20658643
Indonesia6.806.401,705,895657
Brazil6.806.401,411,016651
Bolivia6.806.8075,910632
Pakistan6.707.001,499,878669
Australia6.706.60170,852695
Antigua and Barbuda6.706.30610689
Vietnam6.606.30631,818656
Chile6.606.10113,086621
Eritrea6.607.2043,395647
Republic of the Congo6.50
Ireland6.506.0032,354659
Gabon6.506.9011,767672
Dominican Republic6.406.1070,545648
Mongolia6.406.3024,859734
Reunion6.40
Mexico6.306.00738,425591
Tunisia6.306.3067,618584
Bhutan6.306.304,252564
Kiribati6.306.301,151970
Philippines6.205.80638,801570
Nepal6.206.40193,331636
Laos6.206.5044,457621
New Caledonia6.20
Zambia6.106.60123,355676
Cambodia6.106.00110,851668
French Polynesia6.10
Ethiopia6.006.70559,997520
Uganda6.006.70242,799590
Malawi6.006.80116,671633
Tanzania5.906.50354,351625
Colombia5.905.50246,679516
Afghanistan5.906.50251,418657
Uzbekistan5.905.80203,599605
Peru5.905.50152,433448
Botswana5.905.8021,172905
Timor Leste5.806.007,756581
Egypt5.705.80561,556567
Paraguay5.705.5034,171493
Turkey5.605.40454,742559
Madagascar5.606.10164,161615
Bangladesh5.505.50849,561533
Malaysia5.505.10175,876562
Cape Verde5.50
Guam5.50
Costa Rica5.405.0024,416518
Kenya5.305.50293,888585
Israel5.305.3047,925515
Ecuador5.205.1092,531526
Senegal5.205.8089,909594
Libya5.205.1031,660470
Singapore5.204.4023,222410
Panama5.205.1019,798476
Samoa5.205.201,367647
Morocco5.105.10228,124635
Nicaragua5.105.1029,196448
Western Sahara5.00
Brunei5.00
Vanuatu5.005.302,237759
Rwanda4.905.3068,571540
Lebanon4.904.3033,858654
Belize4.904.701,990485
Iran4.804.90391,113464
Iraq4.704.80179,615426
Algeria4.704.7020,111481
Guatemala4.704.8094,821533
Tajikistan4.604.9048,703513
Sao Tome and Principe4.60
Honduras4.504.4052,569536
Macau4.30
Solomon Islands4.204.306,221949
Syria4.105.5084,425583
Jordan4.003.9032,265277
Saudi Arabia3.703.50128,507360
Palestine3.50
Kuwait3.302.7010,013226
French Guiana3.10
Mayotte2.80
Maldives2.702.801,502301
Bahrain2.602.404,266296
Oman2.502.4012,374270
United Arab Emirates1.801.5029,113315
Qatar1.501.204,421154
Yemen6.00174,542554
Kyrgyzstan6.1034,676531
Andorra620746
Dominica7351,070
Bermuda580905
Greenland480855
Saint Kitts and Nevis500840
American Samoa383445
Marshall Islands422743
Monaco5241,394
San Marino302911
Palau2091,159
Cook Islands165920
Nauru67633
Tuvalu107910
Tokelau11787
showing: 214 rows

Which country has the highest death rate?

Bulgaria has the highest death rate in the world.

Which country has the lowest death rate?

Qatar is the country that has the lowest death rate in the world.

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