A population’s death rate, also known as the mortality rate, is an indicator of how many people in that population have died during a certain time.
Typically, it is expressed as the annual mortality rate per 1,000 persons. There is a danger of population decrease in countries with high death rates and low fertility rates & birth rates.
Generally, the mortality rate in wealthy countries is lower than in underdeveloped countries, where health care systems and infrastructure are less developed.
A lack of fundamental human necessities, such as drinkable water, appropriate food, and sanitation, may lead to an increased risk of illness and other health difficulties in some of the poorest nations.
Factors affecting the mortality rate in a nation
Factors that influence death rates most greatly include proper nutrition and exercise, access to clean water, and access to high-quality health care. Exercise and a healthy diet are especially critical: Obesity, the result of years of poor diet and poor exercise, was the top cause of mortality globally between 1990 and 2019, according to the Global Health Data Exchange.
Diabetic retinopathy, which is also diet-related, came in ninth. Health care systems in industrialized nations tend to be more sophisticated than those in developing countries, which would lead one to believe that developed countries would also be the fattest and diabetes-ridden places on Earth.
Despite this, even the most advanced health care system is not without its limitations. Even in nations with high rates of smoking and/or drunkenness, cancer remains the second-leading killer globally.
Less predictable deaths may also cause temporary rises in mortality rates. Gun fatalities, especially in war-torn nations, may significantly impact mortality rates. Outbreaks of illness, on the other hand, may occur.
The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, is projected to cause a major increase in death numbers in 2020-21.
Top 10 countries with the highest death rates (per 1,000 inhabitants) – U.N. 2015-2020:
- Bulgaria — 15.4
- Ukraine — 15.2
- Latvia — 14.6
- Lesotho — 14.3
- Lithuania — 13.6
- Serbia — 13.2
- Croatia — 13.1
- Romania — 13.0
- Georgia — 12.8
- Russia — 12.7
1. Bulgaria
At 15.4 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants, Bulgaria has the highest mortality rate in the world. Noncommunicable illnesses (circulatory, digestive, or respiratory diseases) and cancer are the leading causes of mortality in Bulgaria, according to the World Health Organization.
Bulgaria’s population, which peaked in 2000 at over 9 million people, is anticipated to shrink to between 2.8 million and 5 million people by 2050.
2. Ukraine
Ukraine has 15.2 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants, which is the second-highest mortality rate in the world. A high death rate & low birth rate have put Ukraine in a demographic catastrophe.
Vaccination rates are very low, and many illnesses and disorders might be better controlled if more money were allocated to Ukraine’s health care system.
The high mortality rate of working-age men from avoidable causes, including alcohol poisoning & smoking, is one significant contributor to the mortality rate. HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming rate in Ukraine, which also saw a measles outbreak in 2019.
3. Latvia
There are 14.6 deaths per 1,000 persons in Latvia. Latvia’s health care system is likewise underfunded. Latvia’s life expectancy has increased dramatically, although it still trails behind the rest of the E.U., mostly due to higher risk factors among males, the less educated, and the poorer.
Life expectancy in Latvia is ten years shorter for the less educated than, the more educated. It is usual for Latvians to smoke, drink excessively and be overweight.
4. Lesotho
Lesotho has the fourth-highest mortality rate in the world, with 14.3 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants. At birth, the life expectancy for females in Lesotho is 56 years, while that for males is 52 years, according to the CDC.
59 baby deaths occur for every 1,000 live births in the United States. HIV/AIDS, T.B., stroke, lower respiratory infections, and ischemic heart disease are among the top causes of mortality.
5. Lithuania
The mortality rate in Lithuania is 13.737 per 1,000 people. According to World Health Organization data, the mortality rates for ischemic heart disease and stroke in Lithuania have been four and two times higher than the European Union norm.
Lung cancer is currently Lithuania’s third-biggest cause of death, mostly due to the country’s high smoking rates. The life expectancy of Lithuania is 74.8 years, which is the lowest in the E.U.
6. Serbia
In terms of deaths per 1,000 people, Serbia ranks sixth in the world, with a mortality rate of 13.2. In the 1960s, Serbia’s mortality rate was between 8 and 9 fatalities per 1,000 people, according to research.
The mortality rate peaked in the early twenty-first century at 14 fatalities per 1,000 people. Serbia has one of Europe’s oldest populations, contributing significantly to the country’s high mortality rate.
In addition, the two major causes of mortality are chronic non-communicable illnesses and cardiovascular disease. Serbia is also one of the top ten nations in the world for the number of people smoking.
7. Croatia
The mortality rate in Croatia is 13.1 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and lung cancer are Croatia’s most common causes of mortality. More than a quarter of Croatians consume cigarettes daily than the European Union average.
Obesity is also rising, with a 50 percent increase in children’s obesity since 2001. It has increased from 74.6 years in 2000 to 78.3 years now. However, it remains three years below the E.U. average.
8. Romania
Romania has 13.0 fatalities per 1,000 people, making it the eighth-highest mortality rate in the world. Cardiovascular illness, malignant tumors, digestive disorders, accidents, traumas, poisonings, and respiratory diseases are the major killers in Romania.
Furthermore, Romania has the E.U.’s highest infant mortality rate of 8 deaths per 1,000 live births. A lack of physicians is sometimes blamed for this. About 43,000 physicians have left Romania in the last seven years in search of a better life.
9. Georgia
The death rate in Georgia is 12.8 per 1,000 people. For the WHO, cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive disorders, and traumas and poisoning are most European countries’ top causes of mortality.
Since 2000, the premature mortality rate for those under 65 has risen, with the circulatory system and cancer-related disorders accounting for most deaths. Smoking, drinking, and obesity are risk factors for non-communicable illnesses in the Georgian population.
In Georgia, dietary hazards, high blood pressure, obesity, and tobacco use are the most common risk factors for illness.
10. Russia
There are 12.7 deaths per 1,000 people in Russia, making it one of the highest mortality rates in the world. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for more than half of all fatalities in Russia.
Suicide, motor vehicle accidents, murder, and alcohol poisoning are the top five leading causes of death. Among Russian guys, alcohol misuse is a major issue. Men may expect to live for an average of 66.4 years, while women can expect to live for an average of 77.2 years.
Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Death Rates (per 1,000 people) – United Nations, 2015-2020:
- Qatar — 1.2
- United Arab Emirates — 1.5
- Bahrain — 2.4
- Oman — 2.4
- Kuwait — 2.7
- Maldives — 2.8
- Saudi Arabia — 3.5
- Palestine (U.N. observer state) — 3.5
- Jordan — 3.9
- Solomon Islands — 4.3
Also See: Covid Vaccines by Country 2022
Higher living standards, better health care, and more knowledgeable citizenry are all characteristics of countries with low death rates. The mortality rate in Qatar is the lowest in the world, with 1.2 fatalities per 1,000 inhabitants.
Because of Qatar’s enhanced health care system, known for its technologically sophisticated facilities and capacity to provide some of the world’s finest patient care, this low death rate may be explained.
Country | Crude Death Rate (per 1k) - UN 2015-2020 | Death Rate (per 100k) - GHDE 2019 | Total Deaths - GHDE 2019 |
---|---|---|---|
Bulgaria | 15.4000 | 1791 | 124226 |
Ukraine | 15.2000 | 1586 | 698663 |
Latvia | 14.6000 | 1432 | 27427 |
Lesotho | 14.3000 | 1555 | 32514 |
Lithuania | 13.6000 | 1378 | 38501 |
Serbia | 13.2000 | 1345 | 117629 |
Croatia | 13.1000 | 1231 | 52311 |
Romania | 13 | 1366 | 262811 |
Georgia | 12.8000 | 1348 | 49418 |
Russia | 12.7000 | 1219 | 1788286 |
Belarus | 12.6000 | 1282 | 121777 |
Hungary | 12.5000 | 1332 | 128868 |
Central African Republic | 12.4000 | 1278 | 67755 |
Chad | 12.2000 | 955 | 156649 |
Nigeria | 12 | 742 | 1593180 |
Sierra Leone | 11.9000 | 846 | 70114 |
Moldova | 11.6000 | 1112 | 40998 |
Estonia | 11.6000 | 1211 | 15889 |
Germany | 11.2000 | 1130 | 959889 |
Somalia | 10.9000 | 906 | 184231 |
Greece | 10.8000 | 1245 | 128669 |
Montenegro | 10.7000 | 1095 | 6794 |
South Sudan | 10.6000 | 784 | 72739 |
Portugal | 10.6000 | 1093 | 116387 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10.6000 | 1134 | 37424 |
Italy | 10.5000 | 1065 | 642342 |
Czech Republic | 10.5000 | 1069 | 113803 |
Japan | 10.4000 | 1096 | 1400013 |
Ivory Coast | 10.2000 | 697 | 182433 |
Poland | 10.1000 | 1057 | 406277 |
North Macedonia | 10 | 1117 | 24047 |
Austria | 9.9000 | 925 | 82490 |
Slovakia | 9.9000 | 1003 | 54549 |
Armenia | 9.9000 | 927 | 27978 |
Slovenia | 9.9000 | 1003 | 20813 |
Mali | 9.8000 | 919 | 201433 |
Belgium | 9.8000 | 999 | 114074 |
Denmark | 9.7000 | 954 | 55374 |
Finland | 9.7000 | 1014 | 56113 |
Guinea-Bissau | 9.7000 | 779 | 14816 |
DR Congo | 9.6000 | 643 | 564091 |
South Africa | 9.5000 | 939 | 521802 |
Uruguay | 9.5000 | 985 | 33847 |
Grenada | 9.5000 | 877 | 819 |
United Kingdom | 9.4000 | 925 | 621815 |
Cameroon | 9.4000 | 712 | 207271 |
Equatorial Guinea | 9.4000 | 537 | 7618 |
Eswatini | 9.4000 | 1013 | 11566 |
France | 9.3000 | 911 | 603278 |
Puerto Rico | 9.3000 | 934 | 32906 |
Sweden | 9.2000 | 918 | 93801 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 9.2000 | 907 | 1026 |
North Korea | 9.1000 | 904 | 237057 |
Spain | 9 | 931 | 428577 |
Benin | 9 | 735 | 93065 |
Barbados | 9 | 1039 | 3093 |
Cuba | 8.9000 | 933 | 105984 |
United States | 8.7000 | 898 | 2946456 |
Netherlands | 8.7000 | 915 | 157008 |
Mozambique | 8.6000 | 897 | 264784 |
Haiti | 8.6000 | 804 | 99708 |
Togo | 8.6000 | 676 | 53555 |
Guinea | 8.5000 | 904 | 114265 |
United States Virgin Islands | 8.5000 | 1230 | 1279 |
Niger | 8.4000 | 870 | 202621 |
Angola | 8.3000 | 614 | 184934 |
Burkina Faso | 8.3000 | 889 | 201814 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 8.3000 | 848 | 11765 |
Mauritius | 8.3000 | 839 | 10713 |
Myanmar | 8.2000 | 770 | 420932 |
Namibia | 8.2000 | 787 | 18907 |
Malta | 8.2000 | 861 | 3780 |
Zimbabwe | 8.1000 | 843 | 126523 |
Fiji | 8.1000 | 814 | 7419 |
Ghana | 8 | 660 | 208182 |
Burundi | 8 | 699 | 83466 |
Switzerland | 8 | 796 | 69817 |
Norway | 8 | 774 | 41386 |
Gambia | 8 | 601 | 13505 |
Albania | 7.8000 | 833 | 22671 |
Seychelles | 7.8000 | 781 | 797 |
Canada | 7.7000 | 789 | 288193 |
Thailand | 7.6000 | 710 | 497502 |
Argentina | 7.6000 | 773 | 348823 |
Liberia | 7.6000 | 621 | 29750 |
Jamaica | 7.6000 | 699 | 19658 |
Taiwan | 7.5000 | 785 | 185365 |
Papua New Guinea | 7.5000 | 707 | 69785 |
Guyana | 7.4000 | 867 | 6684 |
Mauritania | 7.3000 | 523 | 20981 |
Comoros | 7.3000 | 701 | 5007 |
Suriname | 7.3000 | 759 | 4371 |
India | 7.2000 | 675 | 9391549 |
Sudan | 7.2000 | 495 | 202165 |
Eritrea | 7.2000 | 647 | 43395 |
Tonga | 7.2000 | 643 | 658 |
China | 7.1000 | 749 | 10653448 |
Kazakhstan | 7.1000 | 758 | 139467 |
Djibouti | 7.1000 | 630 | 7575 |
Luxembourg | 7.1000 | 670 | 4147 |
Saint Lucia | 7.1000 | 805 | 1406 |
Pakistan | 7 | 669 | 1499878 |
Venezuela | 7 | 666 | 186929 |
El Salvador | 7 | 643 | 40199 |
Turkmenistan | 7 | 661 | 33620 |
New Zealand | 7 | 767 | 34498 |
Cyprus | 7 | 663 | 8707 |
Gabon | 6.9000 | 672 | 11767 |
Malawi | 6.8000 | 633 | 116671 |
Bolivia | 6.8000 | 632 | 75910 |
Azerbaijan | 6.8000 | 731 | 75129 |
Republic of the Congo | 6.8000 | 678 | 35713 |
Ethiopia | 6.7000 | 520 | 559997 |
Uganda | 6.7000 | 590 | 242799 |
Bahamas | 6.7000 | 725 | 2731 |
Iceland | 6.7000 | 613 | 2113 |
Australia | 6.6000 | 695 | 170852 |
Sri Lanka | 6.6000 | 621 | 135633 |
Zambia | 6.6000 | 676 | 123355 |
Micronesia | 6.6000 | 524 | 939 |
Tanzania | 6.5000 | 625 | 354351 |
Afghanistan | 6.5000 | 657 | 251418 |
Laos | 6.5000 | 621 | 44457 |
Indonesia | 6.4000 | 657 | 1705895 |
Brazil | 6.4000 | 651 | 1411016 |
Nepal | 6.4000 | 636 | 193331 |
Vietnam | 6.3000 | 656 | 631818 |
Tunisia | 6.3000 | 584 | 67618 |
Mongolia | 6.3000 | 734 | 24859 |
Bhutan | 6.3000 | 564 | 4252 |
Kiribati | 6.3000 | 970 | 1151 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 6.3000 | 689 | 610 |
Madagascar | 6.1000 | 615 | 164161 |
Chile | 6.1000 | 621 | 113086 |
Dominican Republic | 6.1000 | 648 | 70545 |
Kyrgyzstan | 6.1000 | 531 | 34676 |
Mexico | 6 | 591 | 738425 |
Yemen | 6 | 554 | 174542 |
Cambodia | 6 | 668 | 110851 |
Ireland | 6 | 659 | 32354 |
Timor-Leste | 6 | 581 | 7756 |
South Korea | 5.9000 | 597 | 318631 |
Philippines | 5.8000 | 570 | 638801 |
Egypt | 5.8000 | 567 | 561556 |
Uzbekistan | 5.8000 | 605 | 203599 |
Senegal | 5.8000 | 594 | 89909 |
Botswana | 5.8000 | 905 | 21172 |
Cape Verde | 5.6000 | 621 | 3501 |
Bangladesh | 5.5000 | 533 | 849561 |
Kenya | 5.5000 | 585 | 293888 |
Colombia | 5.5000 | 516 | 246679 |
Peru | 5.5000 | 448 | 152433 |
Syria | 5.5000 | 583 | 84425 |
Paraguay | 5.5000 | 493 | 34171 |
Turkey | 5.4000 | 559 | 454742 |
Rwanda | 5.3000 | 540 | 68571 |
Israel | 5.3000 | 515 | 47925 |
Vanuatu | 5.3000 | 759 | 2237 |
Samoa | 5.2000 | 647 | 1367 |
Guam | 5.2000 | 661 | 1128 |
Morocco | 5.1000 | 635 | 228124 |
Malaysia | 5.1000 | 562 | 175876 |
Ecuador | 5.1000 | 526 | 92531 |
Libya | 5.1000 | 470 | 31660 |
Nicaragua | 5.1000 | 448 | 29196 |
Panama | 5.1000 | 476 | 19798 |
Costa Rica | 5 | 518 | 24416 |
Iran | 4.9000 | 464 | 391113 |
Tajikistan | 4.9000 | 513 | 48703 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 4.9000 | 492 | 1011 |
Iraq | 4.8000 | 426 | 179615 |
Guatemala | 4.8000 | 533 | 94821 |
Algeria | 4.7000 | 481 | 20111 |
Belize | 4.7000 | 485 | 1990 |
Honduras | 4.4000 | 536 | 52569 |
Singapore | 4.4000 | 410 | 23222 |
Lebanon | 4.3000 | 654 | 33858 |
Solomon Islands | 4.3000 | 949 | 6221 |
Jordan | 3.9000 | 277 | 32265 |
Saudi Arabia | 3.5000 | 360 | 128507 |
Palestine | 3.5000 | 335 | 16608 |
Maldives | 2.8000 | 301 | 1502 |
Kuwait | 2.7000 | 226 | 10013 |
Oman | 2.4000 | 270 | 12374 |
Bahrain | 2.4000 | 296 | 4266 |
United Arab Emirates | 1.5000 | 315 | 29113 |
Qatar | 1.2000 | 154 | 4421 |
Andorra | 746 | 620 | |
Dominica | 1070 | 735 | |
Bermuda | 905 | 580 | |
Marshall Islands | 743 | 422 | |
Greenland | 855 | 480 | |
American Samoa | 445 | 383 | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 840 | 500 | |
Monaco | 1394 | 524 | |
San Marino | 911 | 302 | |
Palau | 1159 | 209 | |
Cook Islands | 920 | 165 | |
Tuvalu | 910 | 107 | |
Nauru | 633 | 67 | |
Niue | 1192 | 20 | |
Tokelau | 787 | 11 |