The world’s life expectancy has been gradually rising over the last century. In 1900, the average human life expectancy was just over 47 years. Today, that number well exceeds 72 years, a 25-year, 53% increase. Longer lifespans have greatly affected human culture, opening up more possibilities and alleviating some the anxieties of heedlessly squandered years. However, despite improved healthcare and resources, humanity is still plagued by a number of diseases and other lethalities.
By tracking the leading causes of death over a controlled population, federal health systems can strategize against the factors that are killing their citizens. Morbidly, however, access to these statistics is something of a privilege, and it is not uncommon for low-income countries to have to make estimates due to incomplete figures or incorrect diagnoses.
The leading causes of death in the world in millions (2017):
The leading cause of death in the world for countless years running is heart disease. In 2017, heart disease accounted for nearly 32% of the world’s total deaths. Heart disease accounted for almost twice as many deaths as all Cancers combined.
The term high-income is sometimes substituted with the term “First World”. In 2020, this classification refers to countries where the gross national income (GNI) is greater than $12,536 per year. GNI is an alternative to GDP that calculates the income of a country’s citizens and businesses per capita as opposed to the country’s productive output. Liechtenstein has the world’s highest GNI at $116,430.
The longevity of these countries is reflected in their leading causes of death. In high-income countries, the leading causes of death are almost all non-communicable diseases, particularly ones that are prone to affecting humans more severely as they age. A non-communicable disease is one that cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.
The leading causes of death in high-income countries per 100,000 citizens:
The term low-income is sometimes substituted with the term “Third World” and refers to countries where the GNI is less than $1,026. The country with the lowest GNI is Burundi, where it is just $280. If the current figures persist, it would take a Burundian 416 years to earn the same amount that Liechtensteiner earns in one.
The leading causes of death in low-income countries per 100,000 citizens:
It’s clear that many of the leading morbidities in low-income countries are preventable. One troubling observation is that low-income countries often coincide with the countries that are growing the most rapidly. For example, Niger in Northwestern Africa has the fastest growing population in the world, increasing at a rate of 3.8% per year. With the world’s lowest median age of 15, the population of Niger is projected to triple by 2050, and yet it ranks 183rd in GNI per capita.