Deaths from kidney disease increased by 86% between 2000 and 2023, moving the condition from the seventeenth to the ninth leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The rise is part of a broader shift in global mortality, with noncommunicable diseases accounting for eight of the 10 leading causes of death in 2023.
The WHO estimates that 47% of all deaths worldwide in 2023 were caused by noncommunicable diseases.
Ischaemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death, responsible for 9.5 million deaths, followed by stroke with 6.8 million deaths and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with 3.6 million.
Diabetes also remains a major contributor to global mortality. It caused two million deaths in 2023, more than double the number recorded in 2000.
Deaths from cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung increased from 1.1 million in 2000 to 1.8 million in 2023, making these cancers the seventh leading cause of death.
The WHO says understanding the causes of death is essential for identifying preventable health risks, evaluating interventions and directing resources towards populations most in need.
The findings underscore the growing importance of addressing chronic diseases while maintaining efforts to prevent and treat infectious diseases.
Source: WHO – The top 10 causes of death, published 2 October 2026.
