US Nears Highest Cancer-Rate Around The World

Cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death, but its prevalence varies significantly from country to country.

In this infographic, Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu shows age-standardized cancer incidence rates across 180+ countries, revealing striking contrasts between different regions. Understanding these differences sheds light on how lifestyles, environment, and healthcare reporting all contribute.

Data & Discussion

The data for this visualization comes from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). It presents age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) per 100,000 people, enabling a more fair comparison between regions with different population structures.

Australia and New Zealand Lead

Australia and New Zealand have the world’s highest cancer incidence rates, largely driven by these countries’ intense UV exposure which results in more cases of melanoma.

Both countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, where summer sun is especially strong due to higher solar angles and thinner ozone layers. The Earth is also slightly closer to the sun during this time, though this plays a minor role compared to ozone conditions and lifestyle factors such as spending more time outdoors.

Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that develops from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes and is more likely to spread than other skin cancers. Its primary cause is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Lower Rates in Developing Countries

By contrast, many low- and middle-income countries have much lower reported cancer rates. For example, India (99), Sudan (96), and Niger (84) fall far below global leaders.

These lower figures may not always mean less cancer, but rather differences in detection and reporting.

Higher Rates in Wealthier Countries

There is good evidence that wealthier countries report higher cancer incidence rates, likely due to better detection and reporting methods.

For example, additional research from the WCRF has found a positive relationship between cancer rates and countries that score highly in the Human Development Index (HDI).

In short, developed countries generally report higher cancer rates, but this does not mean people in these countries are biologically more prone to cancer.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The $5.6T Pharmaceutical Industry in One Giant Chart on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.