What Is the Leading Cause of Death in Israel? Cancer, With 11,673 Deaths in 2022
Cancer caused 11,673 of 51,761 deaths in Israel in 2022, the Ministry of Health records. Heart disease was second, COVID-19 third, diabetes fourth.
Cancer caused 11,673 deaths in Israel in 2022, the Ministry of Health records in its May 2025 report, making it the leading cause of death, as it has been since 1999. That is 22.6% of the 51,761 deaths of Israeli residents that year. Heart disease was second, with 6,934 deaths. The ranking is the Ministry’s own, by underlying cause of death under ICD-10, and runs to 2022.
| Figure | What it counts | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 11,673 | Deaths from cancer (malignant neoplasms), the first-ranked underlying cause | 2022 |
| 107.1 per 100,000 | Cancer death rate, age-standardised | 2022 |
| 6,934 | Deaths from heart disease, the second-ranked underlying cause | 2022 |
| 4,345 | Deaths from COVID-19, the third-ranked underlying cause | 2022 |
| 2,470 | Deaths from diabetes, the fourth-ranked underlying cause | 2022 |
| 51,761 | Total deaths of Israeli residents, all causes | 2022 |
| 51,516 | Total deaths of Israeli residents, no cause breakdown, as updated to the start of April 2025 | 2024 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Leading Causes of Death in Israel, 2000 to 2022, and Mortality Rates to 2024 (May 2025). The Ministry’s own count, built on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ coded cause-of-death files and ranked by number of deaths.
Cancer caused 11,673 deaths in 2022, the Ministry counts
The Ministry of Health counted 11,673 deaths from malignant neoplasms in 2022, on its own ranking by underlying cause of death: the single cause that started the chain, chosen under ICD-10 rules from the death notice. Cancer has held first place in that ranking every year since 1999. The age-standardised rate was 107.1 per 100,000.
| Measure | Cancer, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Deaths, males | 6,042 |
| Deaths, females | 5,631 |
| Deaths, total | 11,673 |
| Share of all 51,761 deaths | 22.6% |
| Age-standardised rate | 107.1 per 100,000 |
Source: Ministry of Health, May 2025 report, the Ministry’s own count. The 22.6% is 11,673 divided by 51,761.
Heart disease caused 6,934 deaths, second to cancer
Heart disease was the second underlying cause of death in 2022, with 6,934 deaths on the Ministry of Health’s own count. Its age-standardised rate was 63.1 per 100,000, against 107.1 for cancer. The Ministry ranks causes by number of deaths, and the rate is reported beside each count.
| Measure, 2022 | Cancer | Heart disease |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths, males | 6,042 | 3,534 |
| Deaths, females | 5,631 | 3,400 |
| Deaths, total | 11,673 | 6,934 |
| Age-standardised rate | 107.1 per 100,000 | 63.1 per 100,000 |
Source: Ministry of Health, May 2025 report, the Ministry’s own count by underlying cause under ICD-10.
COVID-19 and diabetes ranked third and fourth in 2022
COVID-19 was the third underlying cause of death in 2022, with 4,345 deaths, the Ministry of Health reports on its own count: 9% of male deaths and 8% of female deaths. Diabetes was fourth overall, with 2,470 deaths. It ranked fourth among males and fifth among females, where dementia ranked ahead of it.
The four leading causes together recorded 25,422 deaths, which the Ministry states is half of all deaths in 2022. The report notes that some COVID-19 deaths might otherwise have been recorded under other causes.
Accidents lead for boys aged 15 to 24, suicide for girls
The national ranking does not hold in every age group. The Ministry of Health’s own breakdown by age and sex for 2022, on the same underlying-cause method, puts a different cause first among young people aged 15 to 24.
| Group, 2022 | First-ranked underlying cause |
|---|---|
| Boys aged 15 to 24 | Accidents |
| Girls aged 15 to 24 | Suicide |
| Men aged 25 and over | Cancer |
| Women aged 15 and over | Cancer |
Source: Ministry of Health, May 2025 report, the Ministry’s own ranking by age and sex.
No cause ranking for 2023 or 2024 appears in the release
The Ministry of Health’s cause ranking runs to 2022. For 2023 and 2024 the report carries total deaths only, on its own count, with no breakdown by cause. The 2024 total of 51,516 is provisional, as updated to the start of April 2025.
Every figure here is the Ministry of Health’s own count
- Every figure on this page is the Ministry of Health’s own, built on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ coded cause-of-death files and ranked by underlying cause under ICD-10.
- Ranked by every cause mentioned on the death notice, the order changes: the Ministry of Health records heart disease on 39% of 2022 death notices and cancer on 25%.
- The figures cover Israeli residents only, and exclude foreigners living in Israel, Israelis who died abroad, and 116 war dead of 2006.
- Counts and age-standardised rates rank differently; a count from one row is never set against a rate from another.
- The 22.6% cancer share is 11,673 of 51,761; the report prints its own shares only for COVID-19.
Questions readers ask
What share of deaths in Israel are caused by cancer?
The Ministry of Health counted 11,673 cancer deaths among 51,761 deaths of Israeli residents in 2022, which is 22.6%. The ranking is the Ministry’s own, by underlying cause of death.
How long has cancer been the leading cause of death in Israel?
The Ministry of Health reports that malignant neoplasms have been the leading underlying cause of death in Israel since 1999, on its own ranking.
Which cause appears most often on Israeli death notices?
Heart disease. Counting every cause mentioned on the death notice, the Ministry of Health recorded heart disease on 39% of 2022 notices and cancer on 25%. That is a different ranking from the underlying-cause ranking, which puts cancer first.
How many people died in Israel in 2024?
The Ministry of Health counted 51,516 deaths of Israeli residents in 2024, as updated to the start of April 2025. The figure is provisional and carries no cause breakdown.
How many people died in Israel in 2023?
The Ministry of Health recorded 49,628 deaths of Israeli residents in 2023, as a total only, with no ranking by cause.
Did COVID-19 change the 2022 ranking?
COVID-19 was the third underlying cause in 2022, with 4,345 deaths, the Ministry of Health reports. The report notes that some COVID-19 deaths might otherwise have been recorded under other causes.
Is dementia a leading cause of death for Israeli women?
The Ministry of Health ranked dementia ahead of diabetes among female deaths in 2022, so diabetes was fifth for women and fourth for men, on the Ministry’s own ranking.
Why are both counts and age-standardised rates published?
The Ministry of Health ranks causes by number of deaths and reports an age-standardised rate beside each, such as 107.1 per 100,000 for cancer and 63.1 for heart disease in 2022. The rate adjusts for the age structure of the population, so the two can rank differently.
Do the figures include foreigners who die in Israel?
No. The Ministry of Health states the data cover Israeli residents only, excluding foreigners living in Israel and Israelis who died abroad.
Are the 2006 war dead in the cause-of-death figures?
The Ministry of Health excludes 116 war dead of 2006 from the series, on its own published scope.
Where does the Ministry’s cause-of-death data come from?
The Ministry of Health built its report on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ coded cause-of-death files, with each death assigned one underlying cause under ICD-10 rules.
How many people died of diabetes in Israel?
The Ministry of Health counted 2,470 diabetes deaths in 2022: 1,211 males and 1,259 females, on its own count by underlying cause.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, 2025. Leading Causes of Death in Israel, 2000 to 2022, and Mortality Rates to 2024 (Hebrew). Division of Medical Technologies, Information and Research, Iyar 5785 (May 2025). https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/leading-causes-of-death-2022/he/files_publications_units_info_Leading_Causes_2022.pdf. Official or primary record.
