Cancer to affect 92% of world's population in some way: WHO

Nearly one in five people worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime, but the impact of the disease will extend far beyond those diagnosed. Around 92 per cent of the global population will experience cancer either through their own diagnosis or that of a close family member, according to a new global report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 8, 2026.

The report describes cancer as a growing global health, social and economic crisis, affecting families and communities across the world. While advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have improved outcomes in many countries, the report warns that survival is increasingly shaped by geography and access to healthcare.

Cancer burden has already reached at an unprecedented level as per estimates in the report. More than 20.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide in 2024, including 19.5 million cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). 

Among men, lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for around 1.6 million new cases, followed by prostate cancer with 1.5 million cases. 

Among women, breast cancer remained the leading cancer, with 2.4 million new diagnoses, while lung cancer ranked second with around 1 million cases.

Colorectal cancer was the third most common cancer among both men and women, with an estimated 1.1 million new cases among men and 900,000 among women. 

The report also highlighted the continuing burden of childhood cancer. Around 400,000 children and adolescents aged 0–19 years develop cancer every year, with a large share of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries. 

9.7 million deaths globally, premature deaths rising

Cancer caused an estimated 9.7 million deaths globally in 2024, including more than 4.8 million deaths among adults aged 30-69 years, highlighting the heavy burden of premature mortality. 

Cancer is becoming one of the leading causes of early deaths worldwide, WHO noted in the report. Around one in nine men and one in 13 women are expected to die from cancer before the age of 75.

Progress towards the global SDG targets is also falling behind. Between 2010 and 2019, only 12 countries were on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, including cancer, by a third by 2030. 

While some countries are making progress, 48 countries are seeing premature deaths from cancer rise. WHO’s 2021 Global Health Estimates showed that cancer is already the leading cause of premature mortality in 41 countries, the second-leading cause in 37 countries and the third-leading cause in 47. 

Cancer also accounted for 16.5 per cent of all global deaths, making it the second-leading cause of death worldwide after cardiovascular disease.

2.45 million children orphaned due to cancer

The impact of cancer extends beyond patients and deaths, affecting entire families. In 2020, cancer deaths among women and men left an estimated 2.45 million children orphaned worldwide — including 1.04 million children who lost their mothers and 1.41 million who lost their fathers.

Breast cancer was responsible for one in four cases of children losing their mothers, while cervical cancer accounted for one in five cases. Nearly half of these new maternal orphans were in Asia, while more than one-third were in Africa. India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Pakistan together accounted for about 40 per cent of maternal orphan cases globally.

The burden of cancer is not limited to health outcomes. As per the WHO global survey on the lived experiences of people affected by cancer in the report, the disease has a lasting emotional, social and financial impact on patients and their families. More than half of those surveyed reported mental health problems.

In India, this has also been highlighted in the recent Crime in India 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau. According to WHO, at least 45 per cent faced financial hardships. Almost all caregivers reported stress linked to unpaid caregiving, long-term grief or social isolation. 

Cancer can also push households into financial crisis. High out-of-pocket treatment costs, loss of income, expensive medicines, travel for care and childcare expenses often create prolonged financial pressure. The WHO report has therefore identified cancer as a leading driver of medical bankruptcy, even in countries with universal health coverage.

Cancer growth to deepen global inequalities

The report projected that annual cancer cases will rise by 66.7 per cent to reach 35 million by 2050, driven by population growth, ageing populations and changing exposure to risk factors. However, this increase will not affect all countries equally. 

High-income countries currently report higher cancer incidence, partly because cancers are detected earlier and populations live longer. These countries are also seeing better survival because patients are more likely to receive timely diagnosis and treatment.

In contrast, people in low- and middle-income countries continue to die disproportionately from cancers that are treatable in wealthier nations because access to essential services such as pathology, imaging, surgery, radiotherapy and medicines remains limited.

For the first time, WHO has produced country-comparable estimates of five-year survival for breast and childhood cancers, revealing stark differences between countries. More than 85 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years in high-income countries, compared with fewer than 45 per cent in low-income countries.

The gap is even wider for childhood cancers. Children diagnosed with lymphoid leukaemia have survival rates of around 93 per cent in Europe, but only 19 per cent in parts of Africa.

The report identified unequal access to diagnosis as one of the key drivers of these differences. Nearly 47 per cent of the world's population has little or no access to basic diagnostic services, including pathology and imaging.

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is approximately one pathologist for every one million people, around 50 times fewer than in high-income countries. Access to cancer treatment is also highly unequal. For example, lung cancer surgery is included in public health benefit packages in 96 per cent of high-income countries, compared with only 19 per cent of low-income countries.

The report warned that these inequalities are likely to widen as cancer burden shifts towards countries least equipped to respond. While cancer cases worldwide are expected to increase by nearly 67 per cent by 2050, low-income countries are projected to face a staggering 133 per cent rise in new cases, placing further pressure on already fragile health systems.

According to the WHO report, future global cancer response will depend not only on medical advances but on whether countries can ensure equal access to prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. Without addressing these gaps, where a person lives will continue to play a decisive role in whether cancer becomes a survivable disease or a life-threatening diagnosis.