Leukemia
Global mortality data, country rankings, and trends for Leukemia from 1990 to 2021.
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Leukemia is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. This page presents data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease Study, showing mortality trends, country rankings, and regional patterns. Understanding the epidemiology of leukemia helps inform public health interventions and resource allocation.
This data is sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, processed via Our World in Data. All rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population unless otherwise noted. Explore related mortality data using the links below.
Leukemia encompasses a group of blood cancers originating in the bone marrow and resulting in the overproduction of abnormal white blood cells. Collectively, leukemias cause approximately 310,000 deaths per year worldwide. The four main types — acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) — have distinct age distributions, prognoses, and treatment paradigms. ALL is the most common childhood cancer, with cure rates exceeding 90% in high-income countries but remaining below 30% in many low-income settings due to treatment abandonment, infection, and limited supportive care. AML is predominantly a disease of older adults and carries one of the poorest prognoses among cancers. CML was transformed by the introduction of imatinib (Gleevec) in 2001, converting a fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition. Risk factors include ionizing radiation exposure, benzene, prior chemotherapy, and certain genetic syndromes (Down syndrome, Fanconi anemia). The survival gap between high-income and low-income countries for childhood leukemia is one of the largest inequities in global oncology.
Unlike many solid tumors, leukemia has few modifiable risk factors — avoiding unnecessary ionizing radiation and occupational benzene exposure are the primary preventive strategies. For childhood ALL, the critical intervention is ensuring access to multi-agent chemotherapy protocols and adequate supportive care (blood banking, infection management, nutritional support). Twinning partnerships between high-income and low-income cancer centers have demonstrated significant improvements in childhood ALL survival. For CML, universal access to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (now available as generics) can dramatically reduce mortality. AML treatment advances include targeted therapies for specific mutations (FLT3, IDH1/2) and improved understanding of minimal residual disease monitoring. Bone marrow transplant registries and cord blood banking expand curative options for eligible patients.