Cancer Continues To Top List of Taiwan's Leading Causes of Death

Reporter/Provider - TaiwanPlus
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New data shows cancer continued to be Taiwan's leading cause of death in 2025, a position it has held for decades. Though overall mortality is down, the government is planning to do more to detect and treat cancer, as death rates from several types of cancer continue to grow.

Taiwan’s Leading Causes of Death

 

Cancer still tops the list of Taiwan’s leading causes of death. According to the latest data for 2025, cancer has been number one for 44 straight years. But health officials say it’s not all bad news, as overall deaths have been falling since the COVID pandemic.

 

Lu Shu-chun (DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, HEALTH MINISTRY):  

The number of deaths and the standardized mortality rate from heart disease, diabetes, hypertensive diseases, accidental injuries, chronic lower respiratory tract disease and suicide are all down from 2024.

 

Still, some cancers are bucking this trend. Mortality rates for lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer continue to rise. The government plans to use expanded screening, precision medicine, and a cancer drug fund to reduce cancer mortality.

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