Where Data Tells the Story
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After adjusting for age, the US cancer death rate fell from 170.1 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 115.0 in 2023, a 32% drop. Over the same period, the world rate fell 24% (151.4 to 115.5) and the high-income country average fell 27% (171.6 to 124.9).
In 1990, the US rate was 12% above the world rate and about equal to other high-income countries. By 2023, it was nearly identical to the world rate and about 8% below the high-income average. The American Cancer Society credits the US decline to less smoking, earlier detection and better treatment.
Age-adjusted rates are not the same as the number of deaths. Because populations have grown and aged, the number of cancer deaths worldwide rose 74% from 1990 to 2023, according to the Global Burden of Disease cancer study in The Lancet. The world rate dipped in 2020 and recovered by 2022, partly reflecting estimates for China. Rates in poorer countries are modeled from less complete data.
Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (2025), processed by Our World in Data. Cross-checks: GBD 2023 cancer study, The Lancet (2025); American Cancer Society, Cancer Statistics 2026.