Cancer is today Europe's second most common cause of death
95% confidence
HealthEurope
Omissions
The most recent available Eurostat data is from 2022; more recent 2023-2024 data on causes of death may not have been fully compiled and published by the date of the session (February 2026).
The data cited refers specifically to EU member states, though the broader European region (including non-EU countries) likely follows a similar pattern.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat - Causes of death statisticsCirculatory diseases accounted for 32.7% of all deaths in the EU in 2022. The second most common cause was cancer (22.3%).
PrimaryEurostat - Cancer statisticsIn 2021, cancer was the second leading cause of death in the EU, with 1.1 million deaths (21.6% of total deaths).