India’s cancer deaths surge nearly 29% in a decade, rising faster than new cases

India’s cancer burden has grown steadily over the past decade, but new government data shows a deeply worrying trend: far more people are dying of the disease today than ten years ago.

A written reply tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav on December 5 reveals that while cancer incidence rose by just over 10% between 2015 and 2024, mortality surged by nearly 29%.

The figures show total cancer cases increasing from 13.9 lakh in 2015 to 15.3 lakh in 2024. But deaths climbed much faster — from 6.8 lakh to 8.7 lakh during the same period. This has pushed India’s mortality-to-incidence ratio from 49% to 57%, meaning a higher proportion of those diagnosed are now dying of the disease compared to a decade ago.

Health experts say this widening gap points to late detection, unequal access to treatment, and the rising costs of long-term cancer care.

The government’s data also highlights how large India’s cancer footprint is on the global map.

Citing the Global Cancer Observatory under the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the reply notes that India now accounts for the third-highest number of cancer cases worldwide. The country’s estimated incidence — 98.5 cases per lakh population — is significantly lower than China’s 201.6, and the United States’ 367 per lakh, but the sheer population size translates to a massive caseload.

Cancer incidence in India has followed a steady upward path since 2015, with year-on-year increases through 2018, a dip in 2019, and then a gradual return to growth until 2024.

But the national average masks stark variations across states.

Kerala and Mizoram recorded the highest per capita cancer rates in 2024, with 170 and 169 cases per lakh population, followed closely by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. Urban and coastal regions such as Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh also reported elevated numbers.

At the other end of the spectrum, territories like Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep showed far lower incidence rates. States like Manipur and Tripura remained below the national average as well.

Yet some of India’s most populous states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, also recorded lower-than-average per capita rates while contributing significantly to the country’s total cancer load due to their large populations. Uttar Pradesh alone reported 2.21 lakh cases in 2024, followed by Maharashtra with 1.28 lakh, West Bengal with 1.19 lakh, and Tamil Nadu with nearly one lakh reported cases.

The rising death toll, outpacing new diagnoses, raises concerns that India’s cancer care ecosystem is not keeping pace with the growing burden. As lifestyles change, pollution worsens, and the population ages, health systems face increasing pressure to improve early detection, expand screening programs, and make treatment more accessible.

Without urgent attention to these gaps, experts warn, the country’s cancer mortality curve may continue its steep upward climb.