In 2023, nearly 62 million lives were lost worldwide - an average of around 7,000 deaths every hour.

These numbers reflect the impacts of aging, illness, and conflict, and Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao takes a further look into the countries with the most deaths every hour.

Data is sourced from the latest UN Population Prospects and figures are rounded.

At the top of the list, China lost more than 1,300 people every hour in 2023. This is about 300 more deaths than second-ranked India (roughly 1,000 people ever hour).

RankCountryDeaths in 2023Deaths per Hour1???????? China11,684,1771,3342???????? India9,507,0081,0853???????? U.S.2,975,6583404???????? Nigeria2,675,4423055???????? Indonesia2,117,7062426???????? Russia1,794,8572057???????? Pakistan1,600,3131838???????? Japan1,524,4301749???????? Brazil1,494,15417110???????? Germany1,034,14011811???????? DRC901,85110312???????? Bangladesh859,0759813???????? Mexico799,3669114???????? Ethiopia767,0188815???????? Philippines716,4908216???????? Italy663,4487617???????? Vietnam659,9807518???????? UK653,7477519???????? Thailand637,3067320???????? Egypt625,4497121???????? France616,0957022???????? South Africa584,0156723???????? Turkey551,5986324???????? Myanmar495,4705725???????? Ukraine495,4215726???????? Spain447,4635127???????? Iran423,3674828???????? Poland412,3104729???????? Kenya399,0244630???????? Tanzania385,7994431???????? Argentina349,1954032???????? South Korea345,5023933???????? Sudan320,4913734???????? Canada311,8243635???????? Colombia282,4333236???????? Romania257,1192937???????? North Korea255,8262938???????? Angola254,4822939???????? Afghanistan240,2962740???????? Ivory Coast238,7412741???????? Ghana237,8692742???????? Uganda235,5832743???????? Mozambique235,5202744???????? Madagascar234,8412745???????? Niger231,7462646???????? Uzbekistan221,2492547???????? Algeria214,2592448???????? Venezuela213,9552449???????? Chad213,1232450???????? Morocco212,6242451???????? Nepal205,8412352???????? Taiwan205,3392353???????? Mali205,0472354???????? Cameroon202,8822355???????? Yemen188,7642256???????? Iraq186,2662157???????? Peru185,8612158???????? Australia183,9242159???????? Burkina Faso183,3752160???????? Malaysia181,1662161???????? Somalia180,5542162???????? Netherlands169,3201963???????? Sri Lanka162,4531964???????? Kazakhstan136,3881665???????? Guinea131,4551566???????? Hungary128,0631567???????? Chile127,6911568???????? Greece127,0181469???????? Zimbabwe124,4121470???????? Benin124,1321471???????? Belarus121,5871472???????? Syria118,9001473???????? Portugal115,9171374???????? Belgium113,7911375???????? Czech Republic113,5251376???????? Malawi113,1811377???????? Cuba111,8191378???????? Cambodia111,3401379???????? South Sudan110,3391380???????? Zambia107,9171281???????? Bulgaria102,9801282???????? Senegal100,8821283???????? Sweden93,9441184???????? Serbia93,9281185???????? Austria93,2231186???????? Ecuador92,2041187???????? Burundi91,9631088???????? Haiti90,9661089???????? Bolivia87,8121090???????? Guatemala87,5231091???????? Rwanda82,826992???????? Saudi Arabia77,837993???????? Tunisia74,071894???????? Switzerland73,788895???????? Togo71,661896???????? Dominican Republic70,823897???????? Sierra Leone70,116898???????? Azerbaijan67,842899???????? Papua New Guinea67,7008100???????? Finland59,9847101???????? Denmark57,2757102???????? Hong Kong57,1907103???????? Croatia55,0296104???????? Slovakia54,1676105???????? Israel51,2946106???????? Libya48,6106107???????? Central African Republic48,5296108???????? Laos47,6825109???????? Honduras47,6705110???????? Tajikistan47,5955111???????? El Salvador47,4435112???????? Georgia45,0775113???????? Liberia44,3335114???????? Norway44,1435115???????? Bosnia & Herzegovina42,8615116???????? Turkmenistan42,5755117???????? Kyrgyzstan42,2005118???????? Moldova41,7305119???????? Lithuania40,9405120???????? Paraguay39,0344121???????? Palestine38,9374122???????? Congo38,8804123???????? New Zealand37,6864124???????? Ireland35,5504125???????? Jordan34,8734126???????? Puerto Rico34,6644127???????? Lebanon34,4194128???????? Uruguay33,1454129???????? Nicaragua31,2944130???????? Costa Rica27,8613131???????? Singapore27,7283132???????? Mauritania27,7253133???????? Latvia27,6143134???????? Armenia27,5793135???????? Lesotho24,6123136???????? Albania23,4283137???????? Jamaica22,9333138???????? Slovenia21,5812139???????? Panama21,2722140???????? Eritrea20,9842141???????? Mongolia20,3402142???????? North Macedonia19,8632143???????? Namibia18,2792144???????? Gambia16,9752145???????? Estonia16,6932146???????? Gabon15,5772147???????? Guinea-Bissau15,1812148???????? Equatorial Guinea14,5562149???????? Botswana14,1972150???????? Trinidad & Tobago12,5771151???????? Mauritius11,1241152???????? Timor-Leste10,0651153???????? Kosovo9,9811154???????? UAE9,9161155???????? Oman9,5971156???????? Cyprus9,4991157???????? Eswatini9,4751158???????? Kuwait8,6241159???????? Djibouti8,5961160???????? Fiji8,5531161???????? Montenegro7,2091162???????? Comoros6,1191163???????? Guyana6,0491164???????? Bhutan4,8051165???????? Réunion4,7971166???????? Luxembourg4,6421167???????? Suriname4,1820168???????? Solomon Islands4,1130169???????? Malta3,9280170???????? Western Sahara3,6780171???????? Guadeloupe3,5600172???????? Martinique3,5020173???????? Bahamas3,4800174???????? Macau3,4230175???????? Bahrain3,2780176???????? Barbados2,9960177???????? Qatar2,7710178???????? Cape Verde2,6420179???????? Iceland2,6120180???????? Brunei2,4000181???????? Belize2,0250182???????? Curaçao1,8440183???????? New Caledonia1,8180184???????? Vanuatu1,6290185???????? Saint Lucia1,5440186???????? French Guiana1,5020187???????? Samoa1,3340188???????? U.S. Virgin Islands1,3210189???????? São Tomé & Príncipe1,2870190???????? Maldives1,2300191???????? Saint Vincent & the Grenadines1,1650192???????? Jersey1,1500193???????? Guam1,1440194???????? Seychelles1,0510195???????? Grenada1,0370196???????? Aruba1,0340197???????? French Polynesia1,0260198???????? Kiribati9340199???????? Isle of Man8820200???????? Micronesia8600201???????? Mayotte8540202???????? Dominica8490203???????? Monaco8170204???????? Tonga6740205???????? Antigua & Barbuda6430206???????? Guernsey5950207???????? Bermuda5730208???????? Faroe Islands5640209???????? Greenland5510210???????? Andorra4910211???????? Saint Kitts & Nevis4660212???????? Cayman Islands3510213???????? Sint Maarten3470214???????? Turks and Caicos Islands3420215???????? American Samoa3340216???????? Liechtenstein3000217???????? Marshall Islands2710218???????? San Marino2700219???????? Caribbean Netherlands2580220???????? Saint Martin2550221???????? Gibraltar2500222???????? British Virgin Islands2330223???????? Northern Mariana Islands2120224???????? Palau2040225???????? Cook Islands1320226???????? Anguilla960227???????? Tuvalu900228???????? Nauru890229???????? Saint Helena890230???????? Wallis & Futuna880231???????? Saint Pierre & Miquelon820232???????? Saint Barthélemy700233???????? Montserrat600234???????? Falkland Islands270235???????? Niue270236???????? Tokelau140237???????? Vatican City130N/A???? World61,654,5897,038

Note: Figures are rounded to closest whole number for deaths per hour

Put together, nearly one-in-three deaths every hour occur in India or China.

Going through the rest of the list, the U.S. (340) and Nigeria (305) have nearly the same number of hourly deaths, as do Indonesia (242), and Russia (205).

These six countries account for half of all global deaths every hour.

For two of them, Russia and China, their death rate is currently higher than their birth rate, and with low immigration, both their populations are officially shrinking.

Both countries will have to contend with an aging population, shrinking workforces, and an increase in related social costs like healthcare.

For Russia, its demographic concerns are also exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, already impacting an economy under sanctions. Brain drain is also a serious issue.

Meanwhile China built its economic engine on top of an abundant and cost-competitive workforce. As it loses that advantage, a potential economic stagnation—similar to Japan in the 90s—could stifle future growth.

We know what the first question is after reading this article. Check out: Global Births per Hour, by Country for an overview of the other side of the spectrum.