TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cancer remained Taiwan’s leading cause of death in 2025 for the 44th year in a row, while the total number of deaths fell for the third straight year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday.
CNA reported that Taiwan recorded 199,576 deaths in 2025, down 1,807 from the year before. The death rate was 854.7 per 100,000 people, down 0.6%.
The ministry said the top three causes of death were cancer, heart disease, and pneumonia. They were followed by stroke, diabetes, diseases linked to high blood pressure, accidents, kidney disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and suicide.
Ministry official Lu Shu-chun (呂淑君) said the order was mostly the same as the previous year. Kidney disease and chronic lower respiratory disease switched places, while suicide remained in 10th place.
COVID-19 fell from 14th place to 19th place, the ministry said. Lu said this showed the disease had a smaller effect on overall deaths than in earlier years.
Cancer caused 54,838 deaths in 2025, the ministry said. That means 234.9 out of every 100,000 people died from cancer.
Lu said the age-adjusted cancer death rate fell to 111.5 per 100,000 people, down from 113.3 the year before. However, death rates rose for lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Lung cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer were the three deadliest cancers in Taiwan for the 22nd straight year. The top 10 cancer causes of death stayed in the same order as the year before.
The top 10 cancer causes of death were lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Among cancers covered by screening programs, death rates fell for breast, oral, and stomach cancers, while the colorectal cancer death rate was unchanged.
Lu said death rates rose for lung cancer and cervical cancer, both of which are covered by government screening programs. The ministry has urged people to get regular screenings so cancer can be found and treated earlier.
