Deaths from TB

How many people die from TB?

Just one death from TB ©Rochind

Just one death from TB ©Rochind

Many people die as a result of TB.

In 2020 an estimated 1.3 million people who were HIV negative died of TB.

In addition there were an estimated 214,000 deaths resulting from Tuberculosis among people who were HIV positive.

So in 2020 there were an estimated total of 1,514,000 TB related deaths. This combined total takes the number of deaths back to the level of 2017.

A single death from TB

is a tragedy for those people left behind. But it is also a terrible way to die.

Deaths in children

In 2019 an estimated 194,000 HIV negative children died from TB as well as an estimated 36,000 HIV positive children. So it is estimated that in total 230,000 children died from TB. This is greater than the number of children who died in 2018.

Most of these deaths could have been prevented with earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

How many adults died from TB in 2019 in different parts of the world?

WHO RegionTotalHIV Negative TB Mortality
Male > 14 Years
HIV Negative TB Mortality
Female > 14 Years
HIV Positive TB Mortality
Male > 14 Years
HIV Positive TB Mortality
Female > 14 Years
Africa
454,000201,000116,00070,00067,000
Americas22,20011,0005,4004,5001,300
Eastern Mediterranean64,43035,00027,0001,800630
Europe23,68014,0005,5003,200980
South-East Asia552,900334,000201,00013,0004,900
Western Pacific67,98042,00020,0005,000980
Global Total1,185,190637,000374,90097,50075,790

How many children died from TB in 2019 in different parts of the world

WHO RegionTotalHIV Negative
TB Mortality Male 0-14 Years
HIV Negative
TB Mortality Female 0-14 Years
HIV positive
TB mortality Male 0-14 years
HIV positive
TB Mortality Female 0-14 Years
Africa93,00032,00028,00018,00015,000
Americas1,1905704708070
Eastern Mediterranean13,9597,3006,400139120
Europe77240035012 10
South-East Asia99,04052,00045,0001,100 940
Western Pacific
22,30012,00010,000160140
Global Total230,261104,27090,22019,491 16,280

TB deaths for "low burden" countries

The lowest rates, that is the countries least affected by TB are found mostly in high income countries. This includes most countries in Western Europe. In these countries the incident rate is less than 10 cases per 100,000 population per year.

Countries with a very low incident rate tend to have different aims with regard to TB, compared to the high incidence countries. For example with TB in the United States of America, the aim is the eradication of TB.

The deaths from TB in other "low burden" countries will be included here by request.

CountryHIV Negative TB MortalityHIV Positive TB MortalityPopulation (millions)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland3103068
United States of America54071329

TB deaths for “high burden” countries

Of all the countries that report their TB statistics to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 22 countries that are referred to as the TB “high burden” countries.  These countries have been prioritized at a global level since 2000. In 2015 it was decided by WHO that the lists would be revised but that there would still be three lists. Each list would contain 30 countries. There is more about this on the TB high burden countries page.

The country with the highest estimated number of deaths is India with an estimated 436,000 deaths in HIV negative adults and 9,500 in HIV positive adults. This does though need to be considered in the context of India's very large population. There is more about TB in India. South Africa has the highest estimated number of HIV positive deaths. There is more about TB in South Africa.

The following is the estimated mortality from TB for each of the 30 countries in the main high TB burden list.

CountryHIV Negative TB Mortality HIV Positive TB MortalityPopulation (millions)
Angola19,0003,70031,800
Bangladesh47,000190163,000
Brazil4,8001,900211,000
Cambodia3,00038016,500
Central African Republic4,8003,1004,750
China37,0002,4001,430,000
Congo3,0002,3005,380
DPR Korea20,0006825,700
DR Congo43,00010,00086,800
Ethiopia24,0002,200112,000
India440,0009,7001,370,000
Indonesia93,0005,300271,000
Kenya19,00013,00052,600
Lesotho9503,3002,130
Liberia2,7001,0004,940
Mozambique21,00022,00030,400
Myanmar21,0003,70054,000
Namibia1,6001,5002,490
Nigeria125,00032,000201,000
Pakistan43,0001,300217,000
Papua New Guinea4,500250
8,780
Philippines26,000600108,000
Russian Federation9,2001,300146,000
Sierra Leone2,6007007,810
South Africa21,00042,00058,600
Thailand9,2002,30069,600
UR Tanzania22,00016,00058,000
Viet Nam11,0002,20096,500
Zambia4,80013,00017,900
Zimbabwe1,1003,50014,600
Total1,080,000201,000
4,880,000

Page Updating

This page was last updated in October 2022.
Author Annabel Kanabus

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Major Sources for Deaths from TB