How does heart disease compare with cancer as a cause of death in the US?
In 1950 there were about 3 heart disease deaths for every cancer death in the US. By 2018 there were 1.1, because the heart disease death rate fell much faster than the cancer rate; around 2012 the two came within a few percent of each other. Heart disease has had the higher rate in every year since 1900. The ratio compares age-adjusted death rates from one CDC dataset, which stops at 2018.
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
The value axis starts at zero. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read exact values.
Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Year | Heart disease deaths for each cancer death (ratio of age-adjusted rates) |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 2.31 |
| 1901 | 2.31 |
| 1902 | 2.38 |
| 1903 | 2.43 |
| 1904 | 2.59 |
| 1905 | 2.47 |
| 1906 | 2.53 |
| 1907 | 2.68 |
| 1908 | 2.44 |
| 1909 | 2.38 |
| 1910 | 2.41 |
| 1911 | 2.43 |
| 1912 | 2.39 |
| 1913 | 2.29 |
| 1914 | 2.36 |
| 1915 | 2.42 |
| 1916 | 2.45 |
| 1917 | 2.51 |
| 1918 | 2.47 |
| 1919 | 2.21 |
| 1920 | 2.36 |
| 1921 | 2.24 |
| 1922 | 2.37 |
| 1923 | 2.43 |
| 1924 | 2.41 |
| 1925 | 2.49 |
| 1926 | 2.63 |
| 1927 | 2.52 |
| 1928 | 2.69 |
| 1929 | 2.72 |
| 1930 | 2.68 |
| 1931 | 2.61 |
| 1932 | 2.69 |
| 1933 | 2.71 |
| 1934 | 2.77 |
| 1935 | 2.76 |
| 1936 | 2.92 |
| 1937 | 2.92 |
| 1938 | 2.85 |
| 1939 | 2.86 |
| 1940 | 2.97 |
| 1941 | 2.92 |
| 1942 | 2.89 |
| 1943 | 3.09 |
| 1944 | 2.94 |
| 1945 | 2.85 |
| 1946 | 2.82 |
| 1947 | 2.9 |
| 1948 | 2.84 |
| 1949 | 3 |
| 1950 | 3.04 |
| 1951 | 3.01 |
| 1952 | 2.93 |
| 1953 | 2.93 |
| 1954 | 2.8 |
| 1955 | 2.86 |
| 1956 | 2.87 |
| 1957 | 2.91 |
| 1958 | 2.94 |
| 1959 | 2.88 |
| 1960 | 2.88 |
| 1961 | 2.82 |
| 1962 | 2.88 |
| 1963 | 2.89 |
| 1964 | 2.81 |
| 1965 | 2.77 |
| 1966 | 2.75 |
| 1967 | 2.66 |
| 1968 | 2.67 |
| 1969 | 2.6 |
| 1970 | 2.48 |
| 1971 | 2.47 |
| 1972 | 2.45 |
| 1973 | 2.41 |
| 1974 | 2.28 |
| 1975 | 2.15 |
| 1976 | 2.11 |
| 1977 | 2.03 |
| 1978 | 2 |
| 1979 | 1.97 |
| 1980 | 1.98 |
| 1981 | 1.92 |
| 1982 | 1.87 |
| 1983 | 1.86 |
| 1984 | 1.8 |
| 1985 | 1.77 |
| 1986 | 1.73 |
| 1987 | 1.68 |
| 1988 | 1.66 |
| 1989 | 1.55 |
| 1990 | 1.49 |
| 1991 | 1.46 |
| 1992 | 1.43 |
| 1993 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 1.42 |
| 1995 | 1.41 |
| 1996 | 1.39 |
| 1997 | 1.38 |
| 1998 | 1.36 |
| 1999 | 1.33 |
| 2000 | 1.29 |
| 2001 | 1.27 |
| 2002 | 1.26 |
| 2003 | 1.24 |
| 2004 | 1.19 |
| 2005 | 1.17 |
| 2006 | 1.13 |
| 2007 | 1.09 |
| 2008 | 1.09 |
| 2009 | 1.05 |
| 2010 | 1.04 |
| 2011 | 1.03 |
| 2012 | 1.02 |
| 2013 | 1.04 |
| 2014 | 1.04 |
| 2015 | 1.06 |
| 2016 | 1.06 |
| 2017 | 1.08 |
| 2018 | 1.1 |