How has the Burden of Chronic Diseases in the U.S. and Peer Nations Changed Over Time?

Chronic, non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and make up 8 of the 10 top causes of death in the U.S. Across several chronic diseases, the U.S. has a higher burden of illness than peer nations. The reasons why are complex and include differences in how health care is managed, poverty, diet and exercise, and more.

This chart collection compares rates of chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer in the U.S. to other countries of similar size and wealth, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.

The analysis is available through the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, an information hub dedicated to monitoring and assessing the performance of the U.S. health system.