Main causes of death in Brazil 2023
In 2023, approximately 1.46 million deaths occurred in Brazil. With more than 383,245 deaths that year, diseases of the circulatory system, which include heart and cerebrovascular diseases among other ailments, were the leading cause of death in the South American country. Neoplasms or tumors followed, with over 252,600 reported deaths.
High prevalence of hypertension
Circulatory system diseases generally refer to conditions that affect the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Risk factors for developing heart problems such as heart attacks or failures include high blood pressure and smoking. In the last few years, an increasing share of Brazilians have been diagnosed with hypertension, reaching over one quarter of the adult population by 2023, while the share of adults claiming to be smokers has been decreasing in recent years, a habit that has been more common among men than women.
Cancer as a major health concern for Brazilians
Cancer is an illness characterized by the abnormal growth of body cells, which can then spread to other parts of the body and form tumors. A recent study conducted in 2023 found that over one third of Brazilian adults considered cancer a top health concern people were facing in their country, ranking second after mental health. Moreover, the estimated number of deaths attributed to cancer reached almost 279,000 cases in Brazil in 2022, with lung and breast cancer accounting for most of these casualties.
