Leading cause of death

The following is a list of the causes of human deaths worldwide for the year 2002, arranged by their associated mortality rates. There were 57,029,000 deaths tabulated for that year. Some causes listed include deaths also included in more specific subordinate causes (as indicated by the "Group" column), and some causes are omitted, so the percentages do not sum to 100. According to the World Health Organization, about 58 million people died in 2005, using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 52,770,000 people died in 2010.

The table below uses data from 2002 and is out of date. Data is now available for 2010.

Note: Tinted backgrounds indicate items that also appear in the subsequent table. Percentage figures add to more than 100% because some deaths appear in both broadly-defined and narrowly defined categories; for example, Cardiovascular Deaths includes deaths from both Ischaemic Heart Disease and Stroke.

Malnutrition can be identified as an underlying cause for shortened life. 70% of childhood deaths (age 0-4) are reportedly due to diarrheal illness, acute respiratory infection, malaria and immunizable disease. However, of these childhood deaths, 56% can be attributed to the effects of malnutrition as an underlying cause. The effects of malnutrition include increased susceptibility to infection, musculature wasting, skeletal deformities and neurologic development delays. According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is named as the biggest contributor to child mortality with 36 million deaths in 2005 related to malnutrition.

Top causes of death, according to the World Health Organization report for the calendar year 2001:

With an average of 123.6 deaths per 100,000 from 2003 through 2010 the most dangerous occupation in the United States is the cell tower construction industry.

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