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Major Global Challenges in the Latest Data from the UN, GBD Study and Other Sources

Bar diagram on annual numbers of deaths from major global challenges according to UN and GBD data of 2024.

Here we combine data on key global challenges from the WHO Global Health Estimates of July 2024 and other latest data from the United Nations with data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD Study), completed in May 2024, as well as other sources.

The GBD Study was created by over 12 000 collaborators and is based at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Global2030 has identified as key global challenges those issues that arise from limited access of affected people to vital resources such as food, clean air or healthcare. We present the results in order of magnitude according to annual deaths. Unless otherwise stated, the data by the GBD study and the WHO Global Health Estimates refers to 2021 and the other UN data to 2022 or earlier years.

COVID-19 was the leading cause of death among the observed global challenges in 2021 with 8.71 to 10.8 million deaths worldwide (WHO, GBD, The Economist/OWID, all based on excess mortality). In the previous year, the number of deaths was 4.05 to 5.03 million (ibid.), in 2022 2.40-6.24 million and in 2023 1.40-3.63 million (GBD, Economist/OWID). As a result, COVID-19 remained the biggest or second biggest killer among infectious diseases, depending on the data source.
Outdoor air pollution is a risk factor for human health, with around 4.72 million deaths attributed to it in 2021 (GBD, HEI/IHME/UNICEF). Since 2022/23, outdoor air pollution is likely to claim the highest death toll among the observed global challenges.
Man-made climate change currently costs significantly fewer lives, but has long-term and accumulating effects that are reflected in a projected increase in deaths from the current 141 000 to 400 000 per year to 245 000 to 1.09 million in 2050 and 3.35 to 4.6 million in 2100 (WHO, WHO a, IPCC, GBD [registration required], CVM2, CVM3, GHF, Springmann et al., Bressler).
Indoor air pollution – caused by burning solid fuels indoors without adequate ventilation systems – claimed about 3.11 million lives in 2021 (GBD, HEI/IHME/UNICEF).
Unsafe medical care cost the lives of 2.62 to 3 million patients (NASEM, OECD, WHO).
Poverty in income or purchasing power contributes 23-51% to mortality from hunger, unsafe water and sanitation and indoor air pollution, which corresponds to 2 to 3 million deaths (WHO, pp. 1942, 2068-2069; GBD; GBD a; GBD b; HEI/IHME/UNICEF; own calculation).
Undernutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers claimed the lives of 2.57 million children (GBD).
Pneumonia, influenza and other lower respiratory tract infections (except COVID-19 and TB) killed 2.18 to 2.45 million people (GBD, WHO).
Unsafe conditions for childbirth cost the lives of 2.02 to 2.59 million newborns and pregnant women (GBD; WHO; UNICEF: World, Neonatal deaths, Total; UNICEF a).
On work-related diseases and accidents, an estimated 1.44 to 2.9 million workers succumbed to them (GBD, Pega et al., Takkala et al./ILO).
Unclean water, unsafe sanitation and lack of access to handwashing facilities led to intestinal and diarrhoeal diseases, resulting in the loss of 1.22 to 1.40 million lives (GBD, WHO).
Passive smoking accounted for 1.29 million deaths (GBD).
Resistance to antimicrobial drugs was responsible for around 1.27 million deaths in 2019 (GBD).
Lead pollution was associated with 902 000 to 1.54 million deaths (WHO, GBD).
Tuberculosis (TB) caused 1.13 to 1.40 million people to die (WHO, GBD, WHO a). This included 115 000 people who perished from resistant strains of the bacterium.
Hepatitis B and C claimed the lives of 1.11 to 1.34 million people, mainly due to associated liver cancer and cirrhosis (WHO, GBD, GBD a, WHO a).
Road traffic accidents caused 1.18 to 1.20 million fatalities (WHO, WHO a, GBD).
Malaria killed 605 000 to 748 000 people, mainly children (WHO, WHO a, GBD [registration required]).
HIV/AIDS resulted in the death of 630 000 to 718 000 people, including 18 300 who died from resistant forms of the virus (UNAIDS, WHO, GBD [registration required]).
Armed conflicts led to 310 000 reported battle deaths in 2022, including civilian casualties. In 2023, the figure was 154 000 (UCDP).
Unsafe chemicals were linked to the loss of about 88 200 lives (WHO).
Natural disasters caused 86 473 reported deaths in 2023 (CRED/UCL).
Measles killed 56 000 to 136 000 people (GBD, WHO, WHO a).
Intimate partner violence cost 61 300 females their lives (GBD).

We have compiled the death tolls of major global challenges, including several million-killers. These catastrophic losses of human lives show that the priorities of politics, business and society worldwide need to be adjusted.

Suggested citation:
Global2030: Major Global Challenges in the Latest Data from the UN, GBD Study and Other Sources. Berlin, Global Challenges Initiative e.V., September 2024. (www.global2030.net/news/1725541200-2024-gbd-and-global-health-estimates.html).