In 2022, over 5 million individuals lost their lives in the European Union.
An infographic created by Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao outlines the leading causes of death that year, highlighting the ongoing prevalence of heart-related conditions and the persistent threat posed by cancer.
The data for this visualization comes from Eurostat. Although the statistics are slightly outdated, they were released in March 2025 and reflect ongoing trends in mortality.
Cardiovascular Diseases Remain at the Forefront
Diseases of the circulatory system, including heart diseases and strokes, accounted for nearly 1.7 million deaths in 2022—more than the combined total of the next two leading causes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a main cause of death is defined as “the disease or injury that initiated the chain of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence that resulted in the fatal injury.” Data is sourced from medical certificates of death, which are mandatory in Member States, and recorded according to WHO guidelines.
The correlation between age and cardiovascular mortality is significant: approximately 90% of these deaths occur in individuals over 65. In fact, 85% of all deaths that year (4.4 million) were among those aged 65 and older.
Related: Europe boasts some of the highest life expectancies globally. However, Central and Eastern European countries, with elevated smoking and hypertension rates, report the highest death rates per 100,000 residents.
Cancer’s Enduring and Growing Impact
Cancer was responsible for 1.15 million deaths in the EU in 2022, accounting for nearly a quarter of all fatalities. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men, while breast cancer tops the list for women. Collectively, lung and colorectal cancers made up one-third of all cancer-related deaths in the EU.
Unlike circulatory diseases, cancer mortality trends vary significantly by tumor type. For instance, while stomach cancer deaths have decreased globally, deaths from pancreatic cancer continue to rise.
COVID-19 and Other Emerging Threats
Respiratory diseases claimed 363,000 lives, not including the 312,000 officially linked to COVID-19 in 2022. The pandemic has re-established infectious diseases among the top five causes of death for the first time in decades.
Additionally, deaths related to nervous-system disorders, such as Alzheimer’s (212,000), now approach those from digestive diseases like liver cirrhosis. As Europe’s population ages, dementia-related deaths are anticipated to rise, presenting new challenges for healthcare systems.
