Cancer kills nearly 10 million people a year, and whether someone survives it depends heavily on where they live, because prevention, early diagnosis and treatment are far less available in poorer countries.
Updated October 14, 2026. Written from the sources listed below, not independently peer-reviewed.
Out of every 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer in low-income countries, roughly how many are still alive five years later?
20.6 million
People newly diagnosed with cancer
About 1 in 5 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. IARC GLOBOCAN modelled estimate; incidence is projected to reach 34.4 million cases a year by 2050.
Data year 2024. Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2026
9.8 million
Deaths from cancer
Lung cancer caused about 1.9 million of them. About 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women die from cancer. IARC GLOBOCAN modelled estimate.
Data year 2024. Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2026
33%
Girls who received a first dose of HPV vaccine
Global estimate, up from 17% in 2019. The cervical cancer elimination strategy aims for 90% coverage by 2030.
Data year 2025. Source: World Health Organization, 2026
Unit: % of girls
WHO and UNICEF global estimates of first-dose HPV vaccine coverage among girls. The source states only these two years, so no values in between are plotted. The cervical cancer elimination strategy aims for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated by age 15 by 2030.
SDG target 3.4 aims to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, by 2030, and the WHO strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2020, calls for 90% HPV vaccine coverage. In 2025, 162 countries offered HPV vaccine through their national programmes, but only 33% of girls worldwide had received a first dose, so coverage remains far from the target despite almost doubling since 2019.
Five-year survival after breast cancer is 87% in high-income countries but about 42% in low-income countries.
Source: World Health Organization, 2026More than 80% of children with cancer are cured in high-income countries, but less than 30% in most low- and middle-income countries. About 400,000 children and adolescents aged 0–19 develop cancer each year.
Source: World Health Organization, 2026The top 20 priority cancer medicines are available in 9% to 54% of low- and lower-middle-income countries, compared with 68% to 94% of high-income countries.
Source: World Health Organization, 2026Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in 26 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South and Central America, Melanesia and South-East Asia. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, infections such as HPV cause about 30% of cancer cases.
Source: World Health Organization, 2026Each country is shaded by its latest available value, so you can see where the gap is widest. Hover or tap a country, search for one, or open the full table.
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This map shows all four main noncommunicable diseases combined (SDG indicator 3.4.1), not cancer alone: no open, worldwide, age-standardised dataset of cancer deaths by country is available. Values are WHO modelled estimates and are the latest year available per country (2021 for all countries in the current release); for countries with incomplete death registration they rely heavily on modelling.
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, via World Bank Open Data. Latest year available per country; years differ.
Values load from World Bank Open Data. Simplified Natural Earth borders; they imply no position on disputed territories.
Instead of one “percent solved” score, DO GOOD rates three separate dimensions. A problem can have mature solutions that still reach too few people. These ratings are an editorial reading of the sources on this page, not a measured index.
Has the situation improved in the real world?
ModerateMany cancers can now be prevented or cured, and tobacco use, a leading cause, has fallen by 27% since 2010. Yet 20.6 million people were diagnosed and close to 10 million died in 2024, and survival in low-income countries remains far below that in high-income countries.
How mature and validated are the available solutions?
HighProven tools exist across the pathway: HPV and hepatitis B vaccines, tobacco and alcohol control, screening for cervical and breast cancer, surgery, radiotherapy and medicines, and palliative care. WHO estimates that about 38% of cancers can be prevented with current knowledge, and more than 80% of children with cancer are cured where care is available.
How widely are effective solutions actually used?
LowFewer than one in three countries cover cancer care in their universal health coverage packages, and priority cancer medicines are available in only 9% to 54% of low- and lower-middle-income countries. Only a third of girls have received a first dose of HPV vaccine.
Incidence and mortality figures are GLOBOCAN modelled estimates for 186 countries, built from registry and death data of varying quality. Survival and medicine availability comparisons between income groups are robust in direction but less precise for countries without complete registries.
HPV vaccine coverage among girls nearly doubled from 17% in 2019 to 33% in 2025, and the share of countries with national cancer control plans rose from 50% in 2010 to 82%. At the same time, new cases are projected to rise by 67% to 34.4 million a year by 2050.
Cancer is a large group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow beyond their usual boundaries and can spread to other organs, a process called metastasis that is the main cause of cancer deaths. IARC estimates that 20.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and 9.8 million died from it, and that about 1 in 5 people will develop cancer during their lifetime. Lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer are the most commonly diagnosed, and lung cancer causes the most deaths. WHO estimates that about 38% of cancers could be prevented by avoiding risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol and excess body weight and by vaccination and other proven measures, and that many more can be cured if found early and treated well.
The chance of surviving differs sharply between countries. About 87% of women with breast cancer in high-income countries are alive five years after diagnosis, compared with about 42% in low-income countries, and more than 80% of children with cancer are cured in high-income countries against less than 30% in most low- and middle-income countries. Many countries in Africa and parts of Asia have fewer new cases relative to their population but disproportionately high death rates, and priority cancer medicines are far less available in low- and lower-middle-income countries than in high-income ones. Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages, and WHO's first survey of people affected by cancer found that at least 45% faced financial hardship.
Only some countries have population-based cancer registries covering their whole population, so global figures combine registry data, death records and statistical models. The main measures used on this page are:
New cases (incidence)
The number of people newly diagnosed with cancer in a year. IARC's GLOBOCAN database estimates this for 34 cancer types in 186 countries; global totals often also report figures excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, which is common but rarely fatal.
Cancer deaths and survival
Deaths from cancer in a year, and the share of people still alive a set time after diagnosis, usually five years. Survival reflects both how early cancers are found and whether effective treatment is available.
Cervical cancer elimination
WHO defines elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem as 4 or fewer new cases per 100,000 women a year. The interim 90–70–90 targets for 2030 are: 90% of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15, 70% of women screened with a high-performance test by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or cancer receiving treatment.
Premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases
SDG indicator 3.4.1 is the probability that a 30-year-old dies before age 70 from cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease. The map on this page shows this combined measure, because no open, country-level and age-standardised measure of cancer deaths alone is available for the whole world.
What works
Persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) causes almost all cervical cancers, and vaccination before exposure prevents it. In 2025, 162 countries provided HPV vaccine through national immunization programmes, and 93 countries used a single-dose schedule, which is cheaper and easier to deliver.
Limits
Only 33% of girls worldwide had received a first dose in 2025, against a 2030 target of 90%. Women living with HIV face a six-fold higher risk of cervical cancer and need extra protection.
What works
Persistent HPV infection can cause precancerous lesions which, if left untreated, account for about 95% of cervical cancers. WHO recommends screening with a high-performance test every 5–10 years from age 30 (every 3–5 years from age 25 for women living with HIV), so that pre-cancer can be found and treated before it becomes cancer. The elimination strategy aims for 70% of women to be screened by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or cancer to be treated.
Limits
Screening has to be repeated over a woman's life and linked to treatment, which requires functioning primary care and laboratory capacity. The highest rates of cervical cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries, where these services are weakest.
What works
Nearly a quarter of cancer deaths are due to tobacco use, alcohol, high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake and lack of physical activity. Tobacco use, the largest of these risks, has fallen by 27% since 2010, as countries have adopted tobacco control measures.
Limits
Nearly four in ten cancer cases are still linked to preventable risks, and WHO describes progress in prevention as too slow. Some risks, such as air pollution, require action far beyond the health sector.
What works
Many cancers can be cured if they are detected early and treated effectively with surgery, radiotherapy and medicines. WHO describes early diagnosis as three steps: people recognising symptoms and seeking care, access to clinical evaluation and diagnostic tests, and timely referral to treatment. Including cancer care in publicly financed benefit packages protects people from high costs.
Limits
Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages, and at least 45% of people affected by cancer report financial hardship. Screening is useful only for some cancers, such as cervical and breast cancer, and mammography is recommended where health systems are strong enough to follow up.
What works
Palliative care eases physical, psychosocial and spiritual suffering, and relief is possible for more than 90% of people with advanced cancer. WHO strongly recommends better access to oral morphine for moderate to severe cancer pain.
Limits
More than 80% of people with cancer in the terminal phase have moderate to severe pain, so gaps in access to palliative care and pain medicines leave many people suffering unnecessarily.
Promising, but not proven at scale. The stage shows how far each approach has come; it is not a recommendation.
Depending on the national schedule, HPV vaccine can now be given as a single dose, which needs fewer contacts with each girl than a two-dose schedule. By the end of 2025, 93 countries used a one-dose schedule. Whether this lifts coverage to the 90% target depends on reaching girls in countries that have not yet introduced the vaccine and keeping supplies affordable.
The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, launched by WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in December 2021, aims to give countries an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured medicines and support from selection to dispensing. It responds to the gap that only 29% of low-income countries report cancer medicines as generally available, against 96% of high-income countries. Its effect on survival is not yet measured.
The WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer aims for at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030, roughly double the current cure rate in many settings, which would save an estimated 1 million additional lives over a decade. WHO supports countries through direct country support, regional networks and global action. Progress towards the target has not yet been reported globally.
WHO notes that women can collect their own sample for HPV testing, that this has been shown to be as reliable as samples taken by health workers, and that some women may prefer it. Self-collection could make screening easier to reach for women who live far from clinics, but every positive result still needs follow-up and treatment.
Implementation gap
In low- and middle-income countries, many children with cancer die because their disease is not diagnosed, is misdiagnosed or is diagnosed late, and many adults face the same delays. Cancers found at an advanced stage are harder and more costly to treat.
Implementation gap
Availability of the top 20 priority cancer medicines ranges from 9% to 54% in low- and lower-middle-income countries, against 68% to 94% in high-income countries, so many people who are diagnosed still cannot complete treatment.
Coordination gap
Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages, and at least 45% of people affected by cancer face financial hardship. High costs lead people to delay care or abandon treatment.
Implementation gap
Although 162 countries offered HPV vaccine in 2025, only 33% of girls had received a first dose, far below the 90% target for 2030. Girls in countries that have not yet introduced the vaccine, and those missed by existing programmes, both remain unprotected.
Technology gap
Besides late diagnosis, WHO names treatment abandonment, deaths from treatment side effects and relapse as main causes of avoidable childhood cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Treatment that is safe in well-equipped hospitals can become dangerous where supportive care and follow-up are lacking.
Knowledge gap
New cases are projected to rise 67% to 34.4 million a year by 2050. Health systems have to plan for this growth on the basis of modelled estimates, which are least certain in countries without complete cancer registries.
Unresolved questions, not vetted breakthroughs. Answering any of them would change what is possible.
Many countries in Africa and parts of Asia have lower cancer incidence but disproportionately high mortality. How much of this comes from late stage at diagnosis, from the mix of cancer types, from treatment gaps or from gaps in the data?
Screening works only for a few cancers. For the many others, which approaches, such as symptom awareness, faster referral pathways or new diagnostic tests, shorten the time to diagnosis most in health systems with few specialists?
Treatment abandonment is a leading cause of avoidable childhood cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Which combinations of financial protection, transport support, family accommodation and follow-up keep children and adults in care until treatment is complete?
Single-dose schedules make it easier to reach girls. How long does protection last at population level, and how quickly does it translate into fewer cervical cancer cases in countries that start vaccination now?
If your child or a young person in your care is eligible, check that they receive the HPV vaccine, and check hepatitis B vaccination where it is recommended. Both vaccines prevent infections that can lead to cancer.
Not using tobacco, limiting alcohol, keeping a healthy weight, eating more fruit and vegetables and staying physically active lower the risk of several cancers. Ask a health worker which screening tests are recommended for your age and sex, and see a doctor about persistent unusual symptoms.
Organisations that run childhood cancer programmes, cervical screening or palliative care in low- and middle-income countries rely on donations. Before giving, look for groups that work with national health systems and report on how many people complete treatment.
Tobacco and alcohol taxes, HPV vaccination programmes and the inclusion of cancer care in public health coverage are political decisions. Telling elected representatives that you support them is one way to add your voice.
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International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); Sung H et al., CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (8 July 2026), published 2026
IARC's summary of the latest GLOBOCAN estimates. Source of the 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million deaths in 2024, the lifetime risks (1 in 5 people develop cancer; 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women die from it), the leading cancer types and lung cancer deaths (about 1.9 million), and the projection of 34.4 million new cases in 2050 (a 67% increase).
World Health Organization (news release, 8 July 2026), published 2026
WHO release on its first Global status report on cancer, developed with IARC. Source of breast cancer survival (87% vs about 42%), availability of priority cancer medicines by income group, the share of countries covering cancer care in UHC packages, financial hardship (at least 45%), national cancer plans (82%, up from 50% in 2010), the 27% fall in tobacco use, the share of cases linked to preventable risks, the regional distribution and the higher mortality relative to incidence in many African and Asian countries.
World Health Organization (3 July 2026), published 2026
WHO's overview of cancer. Source of the definition and metastasis, the risk factors and the share of deaths linked to them, the 38% of cancers that can be prevented, the 30% of cases caused by infections in low- and lower-middle-income countries, the 26 countries where cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women, early diagnosis and screening recommendations, and the palliative care and pain figures.
World Health Organization (3 July 2026), published 2026
Source of the 2024 cervical cancer figures, the role of HPV (about 95% of cases), the elimination threshold of 4 per 100,000 women, the 90–70–90 targets, screening with a high-performance test and self-collected samples, and the six-fold higher risk for women living with HIV.
World Health Organization (15 July 2026), published 2026
WHO's summary of the 2025 WHO/UNICEF immunization coverage estimates. Source of first-dose HPV vaccine coverage among girls (33% in 2025, 17% in 2019), the 90% target of the cervical cancer elimination strategy, the 162 countries offering HPV vaccine and the 93 countries using a one-dose schedule.
World Health Organization (10 March 2026), published 2026
Source of the 400,000 children and adolescents who develop cancer each year, cure rates (more than 80% in high-income countries, less than 30% in most LMICs), causes of avoidable deaths, availability of cancer medicines (29% of low-income vs 96% of high-income countries), the 60% survival target for 2030 and the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.