20 Countries With Highest Rate Of Breast Cancer In The World

In this article, we will discuss the 20 countries with highest rate of breast cancer in the world. If you want to skip our discussion on the prevalence and incidence rates of the disease, you can go directly to the 5 Countries With Highest Rate Of Breast Cancer In The World.

Globally, breast cancer has become a major public health concern. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer has become the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer globally, comprising 11.7% of all cancer cases. In 2020, 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer were reported among women worldwide. Overall, 685,000 people died while battling this disease in the same year. At the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women across the world who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 5 years. According to breast cancer statistics worldwide, it is anticipated that around 297,790 women in the United States alone will receive a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer in 2023. There are presently over four million women who have a history of breast cancer in the US, including those currently undergoing treatment and those who have completed their treatment. The United States is also included in the list of the top 10 cancer countries.

According to global cancer statistics, there exists a significant difference in incidence and death rates due to breast cancer among countries. The incidence rates for breast cancer are 88% higher in transitioning countries as compared to transitioned countries due to regular screening, lifestyle as well as hormonal and reproductive risk factors. Scientists and healthcare professionals all over the world are concerned with the growing burden of breast cancer. Researchers have predicted 3 million new cases of breast cancer, along with 1 million deaths attributable to the disease, by the year 2040. Therefore, WHO has launched the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) with the aim of reducing the number of deaths caused by the disease by 2.5% annually. The project aims to prevent the deaths of 2.5 million people due to breast cancer between 2020 and 2040. There are three major aspects of this initiative, namely early detection, timely diagnoses, and proper management after the diagnosis.

Due to the increasing incidence of breast cancer and advances in treatment, the market size for breast cancer therapeutics is expected to rise from $26.7 billion in 2022 to $54.7 billion in 2032. Major players in this market include Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), and Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY). The advances in medical treatment are contributing to a positive outlook for breast cancer survivorship. It is projected that breast cancer survivorship will experience a 24% increase by 2032, reaching a total of 22.5 million individuals. Around 79% of breast cancer survivors globally have surpassed the 5-year mark since their initial diagnosis, while 18% have reached the milestone of 20 years, and 47% have surpassed a decade since their diagnosis. You can also check out the 15 Countries with the Highest Rates of Lung Cancer here.

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A medical professional in a hospital, using targeted cancer therapeutics to treat cancer patients.

Our Methodology

To compile the list of 20 countries with highest rate of breast cancer in the world, we have used the latest data from the World Health Organization. The countries have been ranked in ascending order of the age-standard incidence rates of breast cancer per 100,000 women. Age standard incidence rates (ASR) are simply the incidence rates of diseases based on standard age structure. The use of this measure is required because countries differ in terms of age-structure of their populations, and age has an influence on the risk of occurrence and death due to this disease. Moreover, the incidence rate of women is only taken into account as only a small proportion of the new cases (0.5%-1%) occur in men.

20 Countries With Highest Rate Of Breast Cancer In The World

20. Samoa

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 81.4

In Samoa, breast cancer emerges as the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer among women in the country. To address this health concern, Samoa’s Ministry of Health and the Samoa Cancer Society are actively engaged in efforts to offer support and increase awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

19. Barbados

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 82.1

While there has been a significant increase in the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer in Barbados, there has been no new stage 4 case reported in the country within the last 5 years. This outcome is due to the extensive awareness initiatives for the disease within the country.

18. Germany

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 82.2

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in Germany, with around 70,000 cases per year as of 2023. The country has a national screening program for breast cancer. In 2021, 7.7 new tumors were detected on average per 1000 first-time screenings, and 5.6 additional tumors were found per 1000 recurrent screenings within Germany. However, there is a good prognosis, as 79% of these tumors were detected at an early stage.

17. Norway

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 83.1

Norway reported 4,224 new cases of breast cancer among women in 2022. This was significantly higher than the number of new breast cancer cases reported in 2020 within the country. Furthermore, breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in Norway after prostate cancer.

16. Sweden

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 83.9

Sweden also has a high incidence rate of breast cancer, with the number of new cases being more than 11,000 among Swedish women per year. However, breast cancer is not really fatal in this Nordic country. The 10-year survival rate is 90%, according to the 2023 Swedish Cancer Society report.

15. Serbia

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 86.8

Due to the high prevalence of breast cancer in Serbia, it is putting a considerable strain on the country’s economic resources. According to a study published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2023, there is a huge economic burden of breast cancer on the healthcare system and society in Vojvodina, which is the northern region of Serbia. Various experts are advocating for the allocation of resources toward the prevention and early detection of breast cancer in the nation.

14. Italy

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 87

In 2021, around 55,700 cases were detected in Italy. Breast cancer accounts for 30% of all cancer diagnoses in Italy and is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Therefore, the government in Italy has taken different initiatives to combat this disease, including increasing awareness, providing free consultations to patients, and raising the number of breast cancer units.

13. United Kingdom

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 87.7

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate among all types of cancers in the UK. It mostly occurs among women who are over 50, but younger women are also diagnosed with it. Various not-for-profit groups and government organizations are working towards creating awareness for the disease within the UK.

12. Switzerland

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 88.9

It is estimated that 6,500 Swiss women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Breast cancer has a very high incidence rate among women in Switzerland, accounting for a third of all cancers diagnosed. However, due to advances in treatment, the mortality rates for breast cancer have declined in the country.

11. Malta

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 89.5

In Malta, breast cancer is detected in over 300 people every year, making it the most common cancer in the country. There has been a significant improvement in screening for breast cancer among Maltese women. The country has witnessed the largest increase in screening over the past decade.

10. Ireland

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 89.9

As per Breast Cancer Ireland, 3,500 new cases are diagnosed every year in the country. In Ireland, breast cancer is more common among women over 50. However, the number of breast cancer survivors continues to increase each year, constituting 23% of all cancer survivors as of 2023.

9. United States of America

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 90.3

As per the American Cancer Society, more than 350,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer throughout 2023, while 43,700 will succumb to it during the same year. Even though incidence rates have increased over time, CDC states that the mortality rate has actually decreased. However, breast cancer is still the second leading cause of death among American women.

8. Finland

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 92.4

The Finnish Cancer Registry reported more than 5,000 new diagnoses of breast cancer in 2021. However, the five-year survival rate for this form of cancer was more than 90% in the same year. This can be attributed to the large-scale breast cancer screening in the country, as Finland is among the top three countries in the European Union with the highest screening rates for breast cancer.

7. New Zealand

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 93

The Breast Cancer Foundation, NZ, has stated that 3,300 new diagnoses of breast cancer occur each year among women, with about 70% of the patients being over the age of 50. However, it is estimated the 10-year survival rate is about 92% for all cases detected through routine mammography in the country.

6. Australia

Age Standard Incidence Rate Per 100,000 Women: 96

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), Australia, about 20,000 Australians receive a diagnosis of breast cancer every year. The number of newly diagnosed cases has increased by 21% over the last 10 years. However, death rates due to breast cancer have decreased by an impressive 40% since 1994 due to early detection and prevention efforts of NBCF.

Some of the popular companies operating in the breast cancer therapeutics market include Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), and Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY).