COVID deaths vs Other Causes

What caused the deaths of 56 million people in 2017?

Research from 2017 indicates Cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause of death globally. The second biggest cause were Cancers. By the end of 2020, where might the Coronavirus COVID-19 rank based on current trends?

How did 56 million people die in 2017?

What were the Top 30 causes of death in 2017?

Where does the Coronavirus COVID-19 rank in the Top 30?

What is the Coronavirus COVID-19?

Coronavirus COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). First identified in 2019, Covid-19 death statistics were compiled from Jan 22, 2020 onwards.

| Wikipedia: Coronavirus_disease_2019

The table below lists the Top 30 causes of death in 2017. The Coronoavirus COVID-19 disease is ranked using death figures projected over one year to Jan 22, 2021.

CAUSE	DEATHS (2017)	% OF TOTAL
ALL CAUSES _[1]	56M	100%
1 Cardiovascular diseases Heart attack, Heart disease etc.	17.79M	31.8%
2 Cancers Skin, Lung, Prostrate, Breast etc.	9.56M	17.1%
3 Respiratory/lung diseases Asthma, Pulmonary etc.	3.91M	7.0%
4 Lower respiratory infections Flu, Pneumonia, Bronchitis etc.	2.56M	4.6%
5 Dementia	2.51M	4.5%
6 Digestive diseases	2.38M	4.3%
Coronavirus COVID-19	1.06 M _[4]	1.9 %
Discovered:	22 January, 2020
Days (since 22 Jan,2020)	2403 days
Deaths (since 22 Jan,2020):	7,010,668 _[2]
Deaths (per day):	2,917 per day _[3]
Deaths (1-year projection)	1,064,864 _[4]
7 Neonatal disorders	1.78M	3.2%
8 Diarrheal diseases	1.57M	2.8%
9 Diabetes	1.37M	2.4%
10 Liver diseases	1.32M	2.4%
11 Road injuries	1.24M	2.2%
12 Kidney disease	1.23M	2.2%
13 Tuberculosis	1.18M	2.1%
14 HIV/AIDS	954,492	1.7%
15 Suicide	793,823	1.4%
16 Malaria	619,827	1.1%
17 Homicide	405,346	0.7%
18 Parkinson disease	340,639	0.6%
19 Drowning	295,210	0.5%
20 Meningitis	288,021	0.5%
21 Nutritional deficiencies	269,997	0.5%
22 Protein-energy malnutrition	231,771	0.4%
23 Maternal disorders	193,639	0.3%
24 Alcohol use disorders	184,934	0.3%
25 Drug use disorders	166,613	0.3%
26 Conflict	129,720	0.2%
27 Hepatitis	126,391	0.2%
28 Fire	120,632	0.2%
29 Poisonings	72,371	0.1%
30 Heat (hot and cold exposure)	53,350	0.1%
31 Terrorism	26,445	0.05%
32 Natural disasters	9,603	0.02%

NOTES:
_[1] Causes of Death. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser 2020. https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death
_[2] Coronavirus COVID-19 death count data. http://www.covidly.com
_[3] Deaths/day (average): 7010668 deaths divided by 2403 days
_[4] 2917 x 365. Deaths/day multiplied by 365 days for 1-year. Projected deaths is calculated using the straight-line method. This assumes a uniform death rate determined by factors such as social distancing, quarantine/isolation, vaccine, medical advancement, education etc.

DATA ACCURACY. Covid-19 deaths include deaths directly caused by Covid-19, and deaths where Covid-19 caused complications leading to death. For example, a person who died due to Cancer may be registered as a Covid-19 death, if blood tests tested positive. Every country has their own death recording methodology. This effects the accuracy of the data. This article is a simple study merging data from different years together and for general information purposes only.

SOURCE
Coronavirus meter. https://covidly.com
Causes of Death. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser 2020. https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_disease_2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/what-happens-to-peoples-lungs-when-they-get-coronavirus
https://www.letsgetchecked.com/articles/top-5-causes-of-death-in-the-uk/

Author: Guest • Updated: 13 Aug 2026

ALL ARTICLES ARE INTENDED FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. ALL INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, ACCURATE AND TRUTHFUL. YOU ARE ADVISED TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. ARTICLES ARE LIVE DOCUMENTS AND MAY BE UPDATED WITH NEW CONTENT AT ANY TIME. WHERE AVAILABLE, SOURCES AND REFERENCES ARE CREDITED. IF YOU SPOT ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR GIVE FEEDBACK KINDLY CONTACT US WITH DETAILS

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