In 2023, an estimated 1.0 million people under the age of 75 in the EU died from diseases and conditions that could have been treated or prevented. Of these deaths, 376 434 were due to treatable diseases and conditions that could have been avoided through high-quality healthcare, while 655 321 were due to preventable diseases that could have been avoided through effective public health interventions.
The standardized death rate from all avoidable conditions was 237.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, 86.8 from treatable and 150.9 from preventable conditions.
The most common cause of death from treatable diseases and conditions was ischaemic heart disease with 72,845 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 inhabitants). It is worth noting that ischaemic heart disease is classified both as treatable and preventable condition, so the total number of deaths (145,689) is split between these two categories. The second most common cause of death from treatable conditions was colorectal cancer with 56 ,93 (13.0 per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by breast cancer in women with 39 989 deaths (9.2 per 100,000 inhabitants).
For preventable diseases, the most common causes of death were lung cancer with 135,584 (30.8 per 100 000 inhabitants), ischaemic heart disease with 72,845 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 inhabitants), and alcohol-specific disorders and poisonings, with 50,593 deaths (11.7 per 100,000 inhabitants).
Source dataset: hlth_cd_apr
In 2023, the number of deaths from avoidable diseases varied significantly across the EU. Latvia recorded the highest rate with 498.5 avoidable deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, including 189.5 from treatable and 309.0 from preventable conditions and diseases. Hungary registered 472.7 avoidable deaths (172.3 treatable and 300.4 preventable), while Romania had 463.7 avoidable deaths (199.7 treatable and 264.0 preventable).
The lowest rates of avoidable deaths were registered in Cyprus with 152.6 per 100,000 inhabitants (62.9 treatable and 89.7 preventable), Luxembourg with 157.6 (51.7 treatable and 105.9 preventable) and Italy with 160.3 (61.9 treatable and 98.4 preventable).
Source dataset: hlth_cd_apr
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on preventable and treatable mortality
- Thematic section on health
- Database on health
- Key figures on European living conditions – 2025 edition
Methodological notes
- The concept of treatable and preventable mortality is based on the idea that certain deaths could be ‘avoided’ among people aged less than 75 years. These avoidable deaths would not have occurred at this stage had there been more effective public health and/or medical interventions in place. If there is no clear evidence of predominance of preventability or treatability diseases or conditions, deaths are equally divided between these two categories. You can learn more by consulting Specifications of the public health theme tables – treatable and preventable death.
- Discrepancies might exist in this news article between the total number of avoidable deaths and the sum of treatable and preventable deaths due to rounding.
