what is the leading cause of death in colombia?

The leading cause of death in Colombia in recent years has been ischemic heart disease (heart-related conditions such as heart attacks).

Current main cause

• National statistics show that ischemic heart diseases account for the largest share of deaths in Colombia, with over 45,000 deaths and about 17% of all registered deaths in 2023.

• Health profiles for Colombia also group most deaths under noncommunicable diseases, with cardiovascular diseases being the main driver within that category.

How this compares to other causes

• Other major causes of death include cerebrovascular disease (strokes), chronic respiratory diseases, certain cancers (like digestive organ tumors), homicides, hypertension, respiratory infections, and road traffic injuries.

• During the peak of the pandemic (for example in 2021), COVID‑19 temporarily became the single leading specific cause of death, surpassing ischemic heart disease for that year, but heart disease has remained the top cause in the most recent data.

Quick context for trends

• Colombia, like many middle‑income countries, has undergone an epidemiological transition where chronic noncommunicable diseases now cause far more deaths than infectious diseases overall.

• Violence and road injuries still contribute substantially to mortality, but they do not surpass ischemic heart disease as the primary cause at the national level.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.