Main causes of death in Brazil 2022

In 2022, approximately 1.48 million deaths occurred in Brazil. With more than 378,000 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 231,000 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 2021, 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 2022 found that nearly one third of Brazilian adults considered cancer a top health concern people were facing in their country, ranking third after mental health and COVID-19. Moreover, the estimated number of deaths attributed to cancer reached almost 260,000 cases in Brazil in 2020, with lung and breast cancer accounting for most of these casualties.