The burden of noncommunicable diseases

 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of death and disease burden in the Region of the Americas. In 2021, NCDs accounted for 6.0 million deaths or 65% of total deaths, equivalent to an age-adjusted rate of 420.2 deaths per 100,000 population. It also accounts for the loss of 226 million disability-adjusted life years, 121 million years of life lost due to premature death, and 105 million years of life lived with disability or ill-health. 

This data visualization presents the level and trends of the disease burden of noncommunicable diseases by age, sex, and country from 2000 to 2021. The burden of noncommunicable diseases is measured using deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature death.

Mortality

Regionwide in 2021, noncommunicable diseases accounted for:

  • 6.0 million deaths, 3.1 million in men, and 2.9 million in women.
  • equivalent to an age-standardized death rate of 420.2 deaths per 100,000 population, 495.9 deaths per 100,000 for men, and 356.5 deaths per 100,000 for women.
  • There is a striking disparity in NCD mortality rates across countries. The age-standardized mortality rates ranged from a high in Haiti (871.7 deaths per 100,000 population) to a low in Canada (306.2 deaths per 100,000 population). This reflects nearly a threefold difference between the highest and lowest mortality rates in the region.

The countries in the top quintile (546.2 to 824.6 deaths/100,000 population) include:  

  • Haiti
  • Jamaica
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
  • Dominica
  • Honduras
  • Guyana 

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs: the summary measure of disease burden)

In the region in 2021, noncommunicable diseases accounted for: 

  • 254 million DALYs, 127 million DALYs in men, and 127 million DALYS in women.
  • An estimated age-standardized DALY rate of 21,224 years per 100,000 population, 22,137 years per 100,000 for men, and 20,502 years per 100,000 for women.
  • There is a significant variation in the age-standardized DALY rates across countries of the region, which ranged from a high in Haiti (32,871 DALYs per 100,000 population) to a low in Costa Rica (17,118 DALYs per 100,000 population).

Countries in the top quintile (23.404.6 to 32,871.4 DALYs/100,000 population) include: 

  • Haiti
  • Guyana
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Dominica
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Honduras

Years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature mortality

In the region in 2021, noncommunicable diseases accounted for:

  • 137 million YLLs, equivalent to 10,781 YLLs per 100,000 population.
  • The absolute number of YLL increased from 101 million YLLs in 2000 to 137 million YLLs in 2021.
  • The age-standardized YLL rates declined by 15%, from 12,669 YLLs per 100,000 population in 2000 to 10,781 YLLs per 100,000 population in 2021.
  • The age-standardized YLL rates varied across countries, from a high in Haiti (23,479 YLLs/100,000) to a low in Chile (7,434 YLLs/100,000).

The countries with the highest age-standardized YLL rates in 2021 were:

  • Haiti
  • Guyana
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Dominica
  • Trinidad and Tobago, and
  • Honduras

Years lived with disability (YLDs)

In 2021, regionwide, noncommunicable diseases accounted for:

  • 118 million years of life lived with disability, equivalent to 10,443 YLDs per 100,000 population.
  • The age-standardized YLD rates increased from 9,885 years per 100,000 population in 2000 to 10,443 years per 100,000 population in 2021.
  • The age-standardized YLD rates across countries varied from 11,973 YLD/100,000 in the United States of America to 8,746 YLD/100,000 in Peru.

The countries with the highest levels of YLDs are:

  • United States of America
  • Brazi
  • Guyana
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Paraguay
  • Mexico

 

DATA CLASSIFICATION

In the map and bar chart, the data is presented in five discrete classes created using the quantile classification method. Each class contains 20% of countries, which is easy to interpret. The quintile classes are labeled sequentially from Quintile 1 as the first quintile including the lowest fifth (0 to 20%) of the data to Quintile 5, the fifth quintile representing the class with the highest fifth (80% to 100%) of the data.

MEASURES

Measure names: Deaths, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Years Lived with Disability (YLDs), and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to diabetes mellitus.

Metric: Rate. 

Unit of Measure: deaths, DALY, YLD, and YLL per 100,000 population.

Disease: All noncommunicable diseases combined. Group II - Noncommunicable diseases as defined by the WHO Global Health Estimates cause list. 

Topic: Mortality and burden of disease.

Rationale: Measuring how many people die each year and why they died is one of the most important means – along with gauging how diseases and injuries are affecting people's health – for assessing the effectiveness of a country’s health system. Statistics of causes of death help health authorities evaluate and focalize public health actions.

Disaggregation: Age, Sex, Country, and Year.

Method of estimation: Mortality estimates by cause, age, sex, location (countries, and the region), and year were extracted from the WHO Global Health Estimates (GHE) 2000-2019. These estimates represent WHO's best estimates, computed using standard categories, definitions, and methods to ensure cross-country comparability, and may not be the same as official national estimates. 

Methodological details:

Data sources and methods for estimating causes of deaths and burden of diseases are described in the following documents:

Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates: Global, regional and subregional aggregates were computed by summing the absolute number of the measure (deaths, DALYs, YLDs, YLL) as the numerator and summing the population estimates from the World Population Prospect, produced by the UN Population Division, as denominators for all countries included in the geographic region or subregion. Rates were computed by dividing the aggregated numerator and aggregated population and multiplying the result y 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates were computed by the direct method using the World Standard Population. 

Preferred data sources: Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system with complete coverage and medical certification of cause of death.

  1. WHO. WHO methods and data sources for country-level causes of death 2000-2021. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. Available online (accessed 13 May 2025).
  2. WHO. WHO methods and data sources for global burden of disease estimates, 2000-2021. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2020. Available online (accessed 13 May 2025).
  3. PAHO. Methodological Notes, ENLACE Data Portal. Washington, D.C., Pan American Health Organization; 2025. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/enlace/technical-notes.
  4. WHO. Topic on Diabetes Mellitus. World Health Organization. Available online (accessed 13 May 2025).

Suggested citation:

Pan American Health Organization. The burden of noncommunicable diseases in the Region of the Americas, 2000-2021. ENLACE Data Portal. Washington, D.C., PAHO; 2025. Available from: https://www.paho.org/en/enlace/burden-noncommunicable-diseases