🧂 Diet high in sodium
Excess sodium intake (>2g/day) increases blood pressure, raising risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Compared to Other Dietary Risks (2023)
How diet high in sodium compares against the other four GBD dietary risk factors in global attributable deaths.
Global Deaths Over Time (1990–2023)
Deaths by Region (2023)
Attributable deaths from diet high in sodium aggregated by world region.
Associated Diseases
High sodium is linked to increased risk of the following conditions according to the GBD study:
Highest Death Rate by Country (2023)
Ranked by deaths per 100,000 population — a fairer comparison than absolute numbers. Countries under 100,000 population excluded.
| # | Country | Deaths | Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria | 11,132 | 163.8 |
| 2 | Serbia | 9,416 | 139.0 |
| 3 | Romania | 19,756 | 103.3 |
| 4 | Hungary | 9,921 | 102.4 |
| 5 | North Macedonia | 1,810 | 98.8 |
| 6 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2,761 | 86.7 |
| 7 | Montenegro | 516 | 81.4 |
| 8 | Croatia | 3,112 | 79.9 |
| 9 | North Korea | 16,753 | 64.6 |
| 10 | Slovakia | 3,506 | 63.5 |
| 11 | Czechia | 6,755 | 62.5 |
| 12 | Albania | 1,638 | 58.3 |
| 13 | Myanmar | 26,592 | 49.1 |
| 14 | Poland | 18,699 | 48.2 |
| 15 | China | 698,707 | 48.1 |
| 16 | Slovenia | 961 | 45.4 |
| 17 | Georgia | 1,607 | 42.2 |
| 18 | Mauritius | 529 | 41.5 |
| 19 | Sri Lanka | 8,390 | 36.5 |
| 20 | Russia | 50,790 | 34.9 |
Lowest Death Rate by Country (2023)
Ranked by deaths per 100,000 population. Countries under 100,000 population excluded.
| # | Country | Deaths | Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar | 34 | 1.1 |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 161 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1,907 | 1.8 |
| 4 | Angola | 976 | 2.7 |
| 5 | Namibia | 82 | 2.8 |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 646 | 2.8 |
| 7 | Equatorial Guinea | 50 | 2.9 |
| 8 | Botswana | 71 | 2.9 |
| 9 | Eswatini | 38 | 3.1 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 7,098 | 3.1 |
| 11 | Niger | 822 | 3.1 |
| 12 | Bahrain | 48 | 3.1 |
| 13 | Kenya | 1,817 | 3.3 |
| 14 | Australia | 903 | 3.4 |
| 15 | Kuwait | 168 | 3.5 |
| 16 | Gambia | 95 | 3.5 |
| 17 | Oman | 182 | 3.6 |
| 18 | South Africa | 2,417 | 3.8 |
| 19 | Gabon | 95 | 3.8 |
| 20 | Central African Republic | 221 | 3.8 |
Foods to Watch: High-Sodium Sources
These foods tend to be high in sodium. Explore their full nutrient profiles to make informed choices.
Other Dietary Risk Factors
🔗 Related from the Mortality Explorer
This dietary risk factor is also tracked in our sister project, the Human Mortality Explorer, which examines all-cause mortality across 204 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people die from diet high in sodium each year?
According to the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, diet high in sodium was responsible for approximately 1,668,703 deaths globally in 2023, making it the #2 dietary risk factor worldwide.
Which countries have the highest death rate from diet high in sodium?
The countries with the highest per-capita death rate attributed to diet high in sodium are Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania. Per-capita rates provide a fairer comparison than absolute numbers, which are dominated by population size.
What diseases are linked to diet high in sodium?
The GBD study links diet high in sodium to increased risk of: Stroke, Ischemic heart disease, Hypertensive heart disease, Stomach cancer, Chronic kidney disease. These associations are based on meta-analyses of epidemiological studies.
What is considered a safe level for this dietary risk?
Excess sodium intake (>2g/day) increases blood pressure, raising risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.