Rates of the leading causes of death in Africa in 2021

In 2021, the leading causes of death in Africa were lower respiratory infections, malaria, and stroke. That year, lower respiratory infections resulted in around 65 deaths per 100,000 population in Africa. 

Leading causes of death in Africa vs the world

Worldwide, the top three leading causes of death in 2021 were heart disease, COVID-19, and stroke. At that time, some of the leading causes of death in Africa, such as lower respiratory infections and stroke, were among the leading causes worldwide, but there were also stark differences in the leading causes of death in Africa compared to the leading causes worldwide. For example, malaria, diarrheal disease, and preterm birth complications were among the top ten leading causes of death in Africa, but not worldwide. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS was the eighth leading cause of death in Africa at that time, but was not among the top ten leading causes worldwide. 

HIV/AIDS in Africa

Although HIV/AIDS impacts every region of the world, Africa is still the region most impacted by this deadly virus. Worldwide, there are around 40 million people currently living with HIV, with about 20.8 million found in Eastern and Southern Africa and 5.1 million in Western and Central Africa. The countries with the highest HIV prevalence worldwide include Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa, with the leading 20 countries by HIV prevalence all found in Africa. However, due in part to improvements in education and awareness, the prevalence of HIV in many African countries has decreased. For example, in Botswana, the prevalence of HIV decreased from 26.1 percent to 16.6 percent in the period from 2000 to 2023.