Cancer remains the second cause of death in the European Union
95% confidence
HealthEuropean Union
Omissions
The most recent available data at the time of the claim (February 2026) is from 2022, published by Eurostat in 2024.
Diseases of the circulatory system (including heart attacks and strokes) are consistently the leading cause of death in the EU, accounting for about 32.7% of deaths in 2022.
Cancer accounts for approximately 1.2 million deaths annually in the EU.
The ranking reverses for people under 65 years: cancer becomes the leading cause of death in this age group.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat - Causes of death statisticsIn 2022, diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 32.7% of all deaths in the EU (leading cause), while cancer was the second most common cause at 22.3%.
SecondaryVoronoi - Europe's Top Causes of Death, RankedCirculatory diseases are the most common causes of death in the EU, claiming 1.7 million lives or 33% of all deaths, with cancer as the second leading cause.