Cardiovascular Disease Around the World

Map U.S. States Smoking Fitness Predictors About

GLOBAL HEALTH DASHBOARD

Cardiovascular Disease Death Rates Across the World

Interactive visualization of age-standardized cardiovascular disease mortality by country in 2024. Hover over any country to inspect the rate and confidence range.

COUNTRIES REPORTED

200

AVERAGE RATE

249.1

HIGHEST RATE

Marshall Islands 715.3

DATA YEAR

2024

WORLD MAP

Age-standardized mortality rate

World Heart Observatory

Selected country

Global overview

Age-standardized mortality

Hover or focus a country to view its country-level cardiovascular disease burden.

Loading country data…

Use the Tab key to move through countries. Press Enter or Space to read the highlighted country details.

Lower

Higher

Culture, behavior, and the burden of CVD

The most important statistical point is that absolute deaths and death rates tell different stories. China and India show very large total CVD burdens because of their large populations, while Russia has a much higher CVD death rate per capita than the United States. These differences suggest that public health risk is shaped not only by population size, but also by diet, smoking, activity patterns, hypertension, alcohol use, healthcare access, and broader social conditions.

Country	CVD deaths	Deaths per 100,000	Key cultural / risk factors
China	5.02 million	—	High sodium intake, urban dietary transition, sedentary lifestyles, tobacco use, rising hypertension.
India	2.86 million	—	Dietary transition, tobacco exposure, low physical activity, urbanization, unequal access to prevention.
Russia	903,200	622.5	Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diet, physical inactivity, socioeconomic deprivation.
United States	920,884	273.3	Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, processed food patterns.

China

China had approximately 5.02 million CVD deaths in 2021, the largest number among individual countries in the WHO dataset. Stroke followed by ischemic heart disease remained major drivers of mortality.

• About 27.3% of adults aged 30–79 had hypertension in 2019.
• About 23.1% of adults aged 15+ used tobacco in 2022.
• Urbanization and dietary change have been linked to higher sodium intake and more sedentary behavior.

India

India had approximately 2.86 million CVD deaths in 2021, with a major burden concentrated among people aged 40–69. This indicates that risk is shaped by both environmental exposure and social conditions.

• About 220 million people were estimated to have hypertension.
• Only about 12% of people with hypertension had blood pressure under control.
• WHO highlights unhealthy diet, tobacco, alcohol, low physical activity, and rapid urbanization as major drivers.

Russia

Russia had 903,200 CVD deaths in 2021, with a rate of 622.5 per 100,000, far above the U.S. rate of 273.3. This suggests a different epidemiologic profile, shaped by behavioral risks and healthcare access.

• Tobacco, alcohol, and hypertension are major contributors.
• Diet and physical inactivity are also important factors.
• WHO's European analysis links CVD risk to socioeconomic deprivation, air pollution, and weak prevention.

United States

The United States had 920,884 CVD deaths in 2021, with a rate of 273.3 per 100,000. The burden remains very large even though the rate is lower than Russia's, reflecting a high-risk population with persistent obesity, diabetes, and vascular disease.

• Obesity, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes remain core drivers.
• Dietary patterns high in sodium, saturated fat, and processed foods strongly contribute.
• Healthcare access and prevention quality influence how effectively risk is managed.

A more precise research model would not claim that "culture itself causes CVD." Instead, it would analyze how cultural and environmental factors shape measurable behavior and physiological risk factors such as diet, smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, and obesity, which then influence cardiovascular outcomes.

Methodology

Values represent age-standardized cardiovascular disease death rates per 100,000 population, both sexes combined, as reported in the World Heart Observatory dataset.

Interpretation

Darker regions indicate a higher burden of CVD mortality. The map supports zoom, pan, and hover inspection for detailed country-level comparisons.

Common CVD terms explained

These terms are frequently used in cardiovascular disease research and public health discussions. They help explain how risk, disease progression, and mortality are measured.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

A group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels.

Coronary heart disease

A condition involving narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply the heart.

Stroke

Brain injury caused when blood flow is blocked or a blood vessel bleeds.

Hypertension

Persistently elevated blood pressure, which increases strain on the heart and vessels.

Age-standardized mortality rate

A death rate adjusted to a common age distribution so populations can be compared more fairly.

Risk factor

A behavior or condition associated with a higher likelihood of disease; association alone does not prove causation.