Chronic non-communicable diseases continue to shape the mortality profile in Mexico. According to the most recent figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), corresponding to the 2024 Registered Death Statistics (EDR), heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and malignant tumors remain the leading causes of death in the country, both nationally and when the data is broken down by sex.
The report confirms that, after the most critical stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality in Mexico has increased again. In 2024, 819,672 deaths were registered, a figure that represents a 2.5% increase compared to 2023, when 799,869 deaths were recorded. The crude death rate was 630 per 100,000 inhabitants, 11 points higher than the previous year.
The leading causes of death nationwide in Mexico during 2024 were:
Heart disease: 192,518 deaths.
Diabetes mellitus: 112,577.
Malignant tumors: 95,108.
Liver disease: 40,645.
Accidents: 39,919.
Influenza and pneumonia: 37,283.
Cerebrovascular diseases: 34,784.
Assaults (homicides): 33,550.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 19,136.
Kidney failure: 17,352.
The top three causes account for a significant proportion of deaths, confirming the weight of cardiovascular, metabolic, and oncological diseases on the country’s public health.
In men, after heart disease, diabetes, and malignant tumors, accidents rank fourth, followed by liver disease. It is also noteworthy that assaults or homicides appear as the sixth leading cause of death, reflecting the impact of violence on male mortality.
In contrast, among women, cerebrovascular diseases rank fourth, followed by influenza and pneumonia. In this group, accidents drop to eighth place, while kidney failure and sepsis also appear in the top ten for women—causes that do not have the same relative weight among men.
Of the total deaths registered in 2024, 44.0% were women and 55.9% were men. In the remaining 0.1%, the sex of the deceased was not specified.
Comparing 2024 to 2023, significant variations in the number of deaths by cause are observed:
Heart disease: 3,308 more deaths.
Diabetes mellitus: 2,518 more.
Malignant tumors: 3,546 more.
Liver disease: 593 more.
Accidents: 356 fewer deaths.
Influenza and pneumonia: 3,346 more.
Cerebrovascular diseases: 356 more.
Assaults (homicides): 1,298 more.
COPD: 531 more.
Kidney failure: 1,423 more.
It is worth noting that in 2023, accidents ranked fourth as a cause of death, while in 2024 they dropped to fifth place, being the only cause in the top 10 that saw a year-on-year decrease in the number of deaths.
The age-specific death rate increased in 2024 in almost all age groups compared to 2023, with the exception of the under-15 age group, where 82 deaths were recorded, compared to 90 the previous year.
The 65 and over age group accounted for the greatest burden of mortality, representing 57.9% of all deaths. The age-specific rate for this group was 4,451 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants: 4,169 for women and 4,783 for men.
Figures from INEGI confirm that Mexico faces a structural challenge in public health, marked by the rise in chronic diseases, population aging, and the persistence of external causes such as accidents and violence. Experts agree that reducing mortality requires strengthening prevention, improving access to timely health services, and promoting healthy lifestyles, particularly in the face of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, which consistently top the list of causes of death in the country.
Source: oem
