WHO Global Health Estimates: Life Expectancy and Leading Causes of Death and Disability

The WHO Global Health Estimates provide mortality, morbidity, and disability data for all WHO member states — the most authoritative global source for comparative cause-of-death statistics. The dataset uses vital registration data from member states, supplemented by surveys and modeled estimates where vital registration is incomplete. Data quality varies by country income level and vital registration coverage; high-income country estimates are more reliable than those from low- and middle-income countries where vital registration is partial.

In 2021, ischaemic heart disease was the leading global cause of death — 9.0 million deaths. COVID-19 was second, stroke was third. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ranked fourth, lower respiratory infections fifth. The global average life expectancy at birth was 71.3 years in 2021, reflecting both the burden of non-communicable diseases and the ongoing COVID-19 impact.

Ischaemic heart disease ranked second among leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2021, behind COVID-19. DALYs capture both years of life lost to premature death and years lived with disability — a broader measure of total burden than mortality alone.

The 2021 data are influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in two ways: COVID-19 deaths displaced cardiovascular disease from the top of the death list in some countries, and excess cardiovascular mortality was documented in many settings as a secondary pandemic effect. The pre-pandemic baseline comparison (2019) shows ischaemic heart disease as the leading cause of death globally before COVID-19 disrupted the ranking.

The global burden puts US cardiovascular disease in perspective. Ischaemic heart disease is not primarily a disease of wealthy countries — it is the world’s leading killer across income categories. Prevention strategies that work in high-income settings must translate to resource-constrained environments where most of the global burden resides.

We rate the evidence strong. The WHO Global Health Estimates establish ischaemic heart disease as the world’s leading cause of death in 2021 — the authoritative global reference for comparative cardiovascular burden across diseases, countries, and income levels.