Cancer data · 2022 / 2026
Cancer statistics:
China & Asia, by the numbers.
Asia carries about 49% of the world’s ~20 million annual cancers, and China nearly half of Asia’s. Here is the IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 and China National Cancer Center data — global, regional and by sex and age — and what it means for setting prevention priorities.
19.98M
Global new cases
Worldwide, 2022
IARC GLOBOCAN 2022
49.2%
Asia's share
~9.83M — half the world
IARC GLOBOCAN 2022
~4.78M
China new cases
49.2% of Asia (excl. NMSC)
IARC GLOBOCAN 2022
Top 5 >50%
China concentration
Lung · colorectal · stomach · breast · liver
China NCC, 2020
>69% / >59%
Top 5 men / women
Sex-specific cancer profiles
China NCC, 2020
~1,900
Peak rate (men)
Per 100k at 70–85; women ~1,200
Incidence data
The big picture
Where the burden
actually falls.
Cancer is a global challenge, but it is not evenly distributed. On IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 data, the world recorded about 19.98 million new cancer cases — and Asia accounted for roughly 49%, almost as many as the entire rest of the world put together.
Within Asia, the burden concentrates again: China alone made up close to half of regional cases — about 4.78 million — followed by India and Japan. And within China, just five cancers (lung, colorectal, stomach, breast and liver) exceed half of all new diagnoses.
That concentration is good news for prevention. When the burden clusters in a handful of cancers — several of them screenable or linked to preventable infections — a focused programme of screening and risk-reduction can address most of the risk. The statistics below set those priorities.
By continent
The global burden, 2022.
Asia — 49.2%
Nearly half of all new cancers worldwide occur in Asia — as many as every other continent combined. The reason a regional prevention focus matters so much.
Europe — 22.4%
The second-largest share of the global cancer burden, reflecting older populations and high registry coverage.
Northern America — 13.4%
A large burden relative to population, with mature screening programmes and high detection rates.
Rest of world — 15%
Latin America & Caribbean, Africa and Oceania together — lower recorded incidence, partly reflecting registry coverage and age structure.
Source: IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 (World Health Organization), all cancers, both sexes. Shares are of global new cases (incidence). Total ~19.98 million.
China’s profile
The cancers that
dominate in China.
Lung — ~17.9%
China's commonest cancer, strongly linked to smoking and air quality. Low-dose CT screening for eligible high-risk adults catches it early.
Colorectal — ~12.2%
The second-commonest. Colonoscopy is uniquely powerful: it both detects early cancer and removes precancerous polyps, preventing cancer outright.
Stomach — ~9%
Far more common in China than the West, linked to H. pylori infection and diet. Endoscopy screening detects early, curable disease.
Breast — ~9%
The leading cancer in Chinese women. Mammography and, for high-risk women, breast MRI catch it at a curable stage.
Liver — ~9%
Strongly tied to hepatitis B/C. Vaccination, antiviral treatment and ultrasound surveillance of carriers are highly effective prevention.
All others
Oesophageal, thyroid, pancreas, prostate, cervix and more make up the rest — each with its own screening and prevention considerations.
Source: China National Cancer Center, 2020 registry data. Case counts are approximate new diagnoses; shares are of all new cases. Men’s top five (lung, stomach, colorectal, liver, oesophagus) exceed 69%; women’s (breast, lung, colorectal, thyroid, stomach) exceed 59%.
By age
The golden
screening window.
Cancer incidence follows a steep age curve. Before 40, rates are low for both sexes with little difference. Between 40 and 60 they rise sharply — slightly higher in women, reflecting breast and gynaecological cancers in midlife. This is the golden window: risk is climbing, but most disease is still early or pre-clinical, so screening has its greatest impact.
After 60, male incidence rises rapidly, overtaking and then exceeding female rates as cumulative exposure and lifestyle effects come through. By 70–85 incidence peaks — approaching about 1,900 per 100,000 in men and 1,200 per 100,000 in women — which is why older adults need intensified, targeted monitoring.
The practical message is simple: start structured screening in the 40–60 window, and escalate after 60. Pair the age curve with your sex and family history and you have the backbone of a personal plan — see the biology of how cancer develops for why early detection works.
FAQ
Cancer statistics, answered.
- How many cancer cases are there worldwide and in Asia?
- According to IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 (the World Health Organization's cancer database), there were approximately 19.98 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2022. Asia accounted for about 9.83 million — roughly 49.2%, nearly as many as all other continents combined. Europe followed at about 22.4% and Northern America at 13.4%. The concentration of the global cancer burden in Asia is why prevention and management there is so consequential.
- What share of Asia's cancer burden is in China?
- On GLOBOCAN 2022 data (all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), Asia recorded about 9.70 million cases, of which China accounted for roughly 4.78 million — close to half (49.2%), as many as all other Asian countries combined. India followed at about 14.4% (~1.40 million) and Japan at about 10.2% (~0.99 million). China's scale gives it a pivotal role in regional cancer control.
- What are the most common cancers in China?
- Per China National Cancer Center data (2020 figures), the highest-incidence cancers are lung (~17.9%), colorectal (~12.2%), stomach (~9%), breast (~9%) and liver (~9%) — together exceeding half of all new cases. This profile differs from Western countries in the prominence of stomach, liver and oesophageal cancers, several of which are linked to preventable infections (hepatitis B/C, H. pylori) and are screenable, making them strong prevention targets.
- Do the common cancers differ between men and women?
- Yes. In Chinese men, the leading cancers are lung, stomach, colorectal, liver and oesophageal — together over 69% of male cases — a profile heavily shaped by smoking, alcohol and infection. In Chinese women, breast cancer leads, followed by lung, colorectal, thyroid and stomach — together over 59% of female cases. Because the high-incidence cancers differ by sex, effective screening calendars are sex-specific rather than identical.
- How does cancer risk change with age?
- Incidence is low before 40 with little sex difference. Between 40 and 60 it rises markedly, with women's rates slightly higher in midlife (driven by breast and gynaecological cancers) — this band is often called the golden window for screening because risk is climbing but disease is still mostly early. After 60, male incidence rises rapidly and overtakes female; by 70–85 it peaks, approaching ~1,900 per 100,000 in men and ~1,200 per 100,000 in women. This trajectory is the basis for age-targeted screening intensity.
- What do these statistics mean for an individual?
- Two practical things. First, the cancers that dominate the statistics — lung, colorectal, stomach, breast, liver — are largely the ones worth prioritising in a personal screening plan, several of which are screenable or vaccine-preventable. Second, the age curve tells you when to intensify: a structured programme through the 40–60 golden window, escalating after 60, captures the most benefit. Population statistics set the priorities; your individual plan then adjusts for sex, family history and risk factors.
- Are these the most recent figures, and how should I read them?
- The headline incidence figures here are from IARC GLOBOCAN 2022 (released 2024) and China National Cancer Center reports based on 2020 registry data — the standard, most-cited sources, though cancer registries inevitably lag by a few years. Percentages are shares of new cases (incidence), not mortality, and registry coverage and methods vary. We cite these as orientation for prevention priorities, not as a substitute for an individual risk assessment.
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Read on MCEDTurn data
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