The Race for Lives
Watch how leading causes of death have risen and fallen across countries and time. An animated ranking from 1990 to 2023.
| Rank | Cause | 1990 Deaths | Current Deaths | Change | Rank Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Animated Mortality Rankings
Watch causes of death compete for the top spot, 1990-2023
The bar chart race transforms dry mortality statistics into a compelling visual narrative. Select any country to see an animated race of causes of death, with bars dynamically resizing and reranking as the years progress from 1990 to 2023.
This visualisation is particularly effective for communicating the impact of health crises. Watch HIV/AIDS surge to the top in southern Africa during the 2000s, or see how cardiovascular mortality declined in Western Europe while rising in Central Asia. The bar chart race makes complex temporal data immediately intuitive.
What does the bar chart race show?
The bar chart race is an animated visualisation that shows how the ranking and magnitude of causes of death change over time for a selected country. It plays through each year from 1990 to 2023, dynamically reranking causes as death rates rise and fall.
Can I pause or control the animation?
Yes. The animation includes play, pause, and speed controls. You can also scrub to any specific year to see the mortality ranking snapshot at that point in time.
Which countries show the most dramatic shifts in the race?
Countries that experienced major health crises show the most dramatic animations. Sub-Saharan African countries affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic see HIV surge to the top in the 2000s and then decline. Post-Soviet states show cardiovascular mortality spikes in the 1990s.