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Nearly 21 million people worldwide were diagnosed with cancer in 2024, while 9.8 million died from the disease, according to a major new analysis led by the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The report, Global Cancer Statistics 2026, estimates that about one in five people globally will develop cancer during their lifetime. It also projects that roughly one in nine men and one in 13 women will die from the disease.
The annual number of new cancer cases is expected to reach 34 million by 2050, a 67% increase from 2024. Researchers said the projected rise is driven entirely by global population growth and ageing.
The analysis was conducted by researchers from the ACS and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization. It was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
“Cancer is one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century,” said Dr Hyuna Sung, senior principal scientist for cancer surveillance at the ACS and lead author of the report.
She said the wide geographic disparities in cancer burden point to significant opportunities to improve prevention and treatment.
“Nearly half of all cancer deaths are estimated to be avoidable through potentially modifiable risk factors,” Sung said, adding that additional deaths could be prevented through early detection and timely treatment.
The findings are based on 2024 estimates from GLOBOCAN, an IARC database covering 34 types of cancer across 186 countries. Researchers examined cancer incidence and mortality by region and Human Development Index, before using demographic trends to project the global burden in 2050.
Cancer rates vary considerably across the world. Incidence rates differ by about four to five times between regions, with Australia and New Zealand recording the highest rates and some parts of Africa and South-Central Asia reporting the lowest.
Differences in cancer mortality are smaller but remain substantial, with death rates varying by about twofold. The highest mortality rates were recorded among men in Eastern Europe and among women in Melanesia.
The researchers said the findings underscore the need for stronger prevention measures, earlier diagnosis and more equitable access to effective cancer treatment worldwide.
