How Does Japan’s No. 1 Cause of Death, “Cancer,” Differ from the World? A Comparison of the Latest Mortality Rankings in Japan and Globally

A comparison of the latest mortality rankings in Japan and the world reveals a clear difference in the “structure of death” between the two. In Japan, where cancer (malignant neoplasms) has been the number one cause for 43 consecutive years (according to the 2023 statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), a “longevity-type” mortality structure is evident, notably with senility (old age) surging to the 3rd rank. In contrast, the global ranking, based on WHO and GBD 2023 estimates, is dominated by a “lifestyle disease and infectious disease-type” structure, where Ischemic Heart Disease is the overwhelming number one, and lower respiratory infections and diabetes occupy high ranks. However, the causes of sudden death, such as heart attacks, are nearly identical between Japan and the US, with the post-event survival rate being the major difference.

Data Sources:

  • Japan: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2023 Vital Statistics
  • Global: WHO/GBD 2023 Estimates

1. Comparison of Overall Causes of Death Rankings (Top 10)

RankJapan (2023)ProportionGlobal (2023)Proportion
1stMalignant Neoplasms (Cancer)24.3%Ischemic Heart Disease16%
2ndHeart Diseases14.7%Stroke11%
3rdSenility (Old Age)12.1%COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)6%
4thCerebrovascular Diseases (Stroke)6.6%Lower Respiratory Infections (Pneumonia, etc.)5%
5thPneumonia4.8%Dementia / Alzheimer’s Disease4%
6thAccidents (Unintentional Injuries)3.5%Diabetes Mellitus3.5%
7thSuicide2.0%Lower Respiratory Diseases3%
8thCOVID-191.5%Kidney Diseases2.5%
9thRenal Failure1.2%Liver Diseases2.5%
10thChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease1.1%Lung Cancer2%

Comparison Points

ItemJapanGlobal
No. 1 CauseCancer (Longevity + Screening Access)Heart Disease (Progression of Lifestyle Diseases)
Reflection of AgingSenility ranks 3rd (12.1%)Dementia ranks 5th (4%)
Infectious DiseasesPneumonia 5th, COVID-19 8thLower Respiratory Infections 4th (Influence of Developing Countries)
SuicideRanks 7th (Prominent in Developed Countries)Not in the Top 10
CancerNo. 1, but the proportion is higher than the global averageOnly Lung Cancer ranks 10th (other cancers are distributed)

2. Comparison of Sudden Death Causes Ranking

RankJapan (Estimated Proportion)ProportionGlobal (Estimated Proportion)Proportion
1stAcute Myocardial Infarction40-50%Acute Myocardial Infarction/Ischemic Heart Disease40-50%
2ndVentricular Arrhythmias20-30%Ventricular Arrhythmias20-30%
3rdCerebral Hemorrhage/Infarction (Stroke)10-15%Stroke (Hemorrhagic/Infarction)10-15%
4thPulmonary Embolism5-10%Pulmonary Embolism5-10%
5thAortic Dissection/Rupture5%Aortic Dissection/Rupture5%

Comparison Points

ItemJapanGlobal
CommonalityTop 5 causes are nearly identical (cardiac, cerebral, vascular system)Same as Japan
IncidenceApprox. 70,000-80,000 cases per yearApprox. 6-7 million cases per year
Survival Rate10-15% with AED use (in urban areas)Less than 1% global average (5% in the US)
CharacteristicsMyocardial infarction and stroke in the elderly are prevalentCases complicated by infectious diseases are seen in developing countries

Summary

PerspectiveJapanGlobal
Mortality StructureLongevity-type (Cancer, Senility, Heart Disease)Lifestyle Disease + Infectious Disease-type
Sudden DeathSame causes as the world, but high survival rate due to AED/Emergency systemSame causes, but large disparity in life-saving infrastructure
Key to PreventionCancer screening + Hypertension managementSmoking cessation, exercise + Infectious disease control
Future ChallengesRapid increase in senility and dementia due to extreme agingReduction of infectious disease deaths in low-income countries

Japan follows a pattern of “dying from living too long,” while the world follows a pattern of “dying suddenly from lifestyle diseases.”