In this article, we take a look at the 5 countries with the highest rates of lung cancer. If you would like to take a detailed look at our analysis of the lung cancer therapeutics industry, you can go to 15 Countries with the Highest Rates of Lung Cancer.
05. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Value: 38.3
The problem of lung cancer in Bosnia and Herzegovina is exacerbated by the complicated and ill-equipped healthcare system. A poor distribution of radiologists makes cancer screenings quite tricky, which means many people either get diagnosed quite late or don’t receive a diagnosis at all. Citizens, for the most part, have to pay out of their own pockets for medical procedures, which can be pretty costly for diseases like cancer. Not to mention that many of these procedures are not even sufficiently adequate in a country like Bosnia and Herzegovina.
04. French Polynesia
Value: 38.5
A 2017 research discovered that the incidence of cancer in the Pacific Islands was quite low, with the exception of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, which are two countries with the highest rates of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the region after breast cancer, with some sources citing it on the first rank as well. Despite having quite a small population of around 304,000 people, the country still manages to be a region with a high rate of lung cancer, showcasing the intensity of the problem.
03. Montenegro
Value: 41.2
Within Montenegro, 80% of lung cancer cases in men and 50% of those in women are caused by tobacco smoking, making cigarettes, once again, the leading cause of lung cancer in the region. The National Tobacco Control Commission was established in the country in 2003, which paved the way for tobacco control strategies and policies. Despite these measures, lung cancer rates have continued to increase, meaning that other efforts need to be directed toward solving this ever-growing issue.
02. Hungary
Value: 49.8
Depending on their methodology, different sources will cite either Hungary or Serbia as the country with the highest rate of lung cancer in the world. Whatever the exact ranking may be, it can be said that these two countries rank significantly higher than others on this list. Within Hungary, the prevalence of smoking is relatively high in women in urbanized areas, which is a significant reason for this massive rate. Even though lung cancer rates in men have decreased over the past few years in the country, the prevalence in women has increased, which means there has been almost no change in the overall rate of lung cancer in the population. Other studies have cited low education and income rates as another reason behind the increasing number of lung cancer cases.
1. Serbia
Value: 50.0
According to IARC, Serbia is currently the country with the world’s highest rate of lung cancer for an age-standardized range of 10-69 years. As showcased by their values, the difference between the rates in Hungary and Serbia is quite low, with either of the two coming on top based on the age range for which the data is standardized. Healthcare failure is a leading cause of the high incidence of lung cancer in Serbia. Furthermore, statistics from 2020 revealed that 36% of the adult Serbian population consisted of smokers and 48.9% of those above 15 were exposed to second-hand smoke daily. From 1999 to 2008, the incidence of lung cancer increased by 27.4%, more in women than in men.
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