Tuberculosis
Global mortality data, country rankings, and trends for Tuberculosis from 1990 to 2021.
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Tuberculosis 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 tuberculosis 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. Values represent each cause's share of total deaths (%) unless otherwise noted. Explore related mortality data using the links below.
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, kills approximately 1.3 million people each year and remains the leading infectious disease killer globally (excluding COVID-19 pandemic years). One-quarter of the world's population is estimated to harbour latent TB infection. Active TB most commonly affects the lungs but can disseminate to virtually any organ. HIV co-infection dramatically increases the risk of progression from latent to active disease and mortality. India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Nigeria together account for roughly 56% of global TB cases. Drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB and XDR-TB) represents a growing threat, with treatment requiring longer, more toxic, and more expensive regimens. Despite being a curable and preventable disease, TB mortality reduction has been frustratingly slow, hampered by diagnostic delays, treatment non-adherence, HIV co-epidemics, and chronic underfunding. The COVID-19 pandemic set back TB control efforts significantly, with case detection dropping sharply in 2020-2021.
Across 210 countries, tuberculosis accounts for an average of 1.5% of total deaths. Regional disparities are substantial: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest regional average at 3.8%, while North America records the lowest at 0.0% — a 127.5-fold difference that underscores the geographic inequality in tuberculosis mortality burden.
BCG vaccination provides partial protection against severe childhood TB but limited efficacy against adult pulmonary disease. TB preventive treatment (TPT) with isoniazid or rifapentine for latent infection in high-risk groups is a critical but underutilised intervention. Rapid molecular diagnostics (GeneXpert) enable same-day TB and drug-resistance detection. Directly observed therapy (DOTS) and community-based treatment support improve treatment completion rates. New shorter regimens (BPaL) for drug-resistant TB and vaccine candidates (M72/AS01E) in clinical trials offer hope for accelerating mortality reduction.