Figure 1
Number of people living with CHD by income regions, 1990–2023.
Figure 2
Annual percentage change in the CHD incidence rate, 1990–2023.
Figure 3
CHD incidence rate by income regions, 1990–2023.
Table 1
Ranking of congenital heart disease among leading causes of death, 1990 and 2023.
| REGION | INFANT MORTALITY 1990 (<1 YEAR) | NEONATAL MORTALITY 1990 (<28 DAYS) | INFANT MORTALITY 2023 (<1 YEAR) | NEONATAL MORTALITY 2023 (<28 DAYS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| High-income | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Upper-middle | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Lower-middle | 10 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| Low-income | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
[i] Values are ordinal rankings among all causes of death, not rates; a lower number denotes a higher rank.
Data source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.
Figure 4
CHD infant mortality rate per 100,000 live births by income region, 1990–2023.
Figure 5
Age-standardised CHD mortality rate by income region, 1990–2023.
Figure 6
Age-standardised mortality rates, 2023.
Figure 7
CHD age-standardised DALYs (per 100,000 people) by region, 1990 and 2023.
Figure 8
Total infant DALYs attributable to CHD by region, 1990 and 2023.
Appendix Table 1
Global distribution of common congenital heart disease subtypes.
| CHD SUBTYPE | GLOBAL PREVALENCE | COUNTRIES/REGIONS WITH NOTABLE PATTERNS | EXAMPLES (KEY STUDIES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventricular septal defect (VSD) | 30–40% of all CHD | Commonest VSD worldwide. Subpulmonic VSD common in China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea. | China: VSD 3.3/1,000 live births; Northwestern China 29.2%; Jinan 1.18/1,000 live births. Nigeria: 40.6% of all CHD. Uganda: 27.2%. India: North 5.7/1,000; Mumbai 42.86%. Australia: 25%. |
| Atrial septal defect (ASD) | 7–10% of all CHD | Commonest CHD diagnosed in adulthood. Secundum ASD accounts for 80% of ASDs. More common in women. | Australia: 10%. China: Jinan 3.07/1,000 live births. Uganda: 9.4%, 88% secundum. |
| Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) | <10% of CHD | Higher at high altitudes. | Tibet, Nagqu (4,200–4,900 m): 66.3% of all CHD. Ngamring: 55.42%. Tanzania: 19.1%. |
| Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) | 0.3–0.5 per 1,000 live births; 3–5% of all CHD | Most common cyanotic CHD. | UK: 6.5%. India (Uttarakhand): 5.45%. Nigeria: 7.8%. Africa: 0.52/1,000 live births. |
| Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) | 0.2–0.4 per 1,000 live births; 4–5% of all CHD | Male predominance is universal. Limited survival data in LMICs owing to lack of neonatal surgery. | — |
[i] CHD, congenital heart disease; LMICs, low- and middle-income countries.