Overview
- The Lancet’s GBD 2023 analysis estimates roughly 1.5 million deaths from chronic kidney disease in 2023, with the global age-standardized mortality rate rising from 24.9 to 26.5 per 100,000 since 1990.
- Kidney dysfunction accounted for almost 12% of global cardiovascular deaths in 2023, ranking seventh among cardiovascular risk factors.
- Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity drive the largest share of the burden, with low fruit and vegetable intake and high sodium consumption also contributing.
- About 14% of adults are affected, with the highest prevalence in North Africa and the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean; China has about 152 million cases and India about 138 million, with many countries topping 10 million.
- Most identified cases are in early stages, study authors warn of undertesting that may undercount true prevalence, and they highlight uneven access to dialysis and transplantation worldwide.