WHO: Unsafe food causes 866 million illnesses, 1.5 million deaths annually
8 reported
The World Health Organization released new estimates on June 4, 2026, showing that unsafe food causes approximately 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths each year. Children under five face nearly three times the risk of illness from unsafe food compared to older children and adults, despite being just 9% of the global population. The estimates, published in The Lancet Global Health, assess 42 major foodborne hazards from 194 countries between 2000 and 2021. Biological hazards such as bacteria and viruses caused the majority of illnesses, while chemical hazards accounted for 73% of deaths in 2021, primarily linked to inorganic arsenic and lead. The African and South-East Asian regions together account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses and 60% of global deaths. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the new data gives countries their own information to prioritize actions to protect people’s health.
What’s reported
Unsafe food causes around 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually, according to WHO estimates.
Children under five face almost three times the risk of illness from unsafe food than older children and adults.
Young children are 9% of the global population but suffer from nearly one third of all foodborne disease cases.
Biological hazards caused approximately 860 million foodborne illnesses in 2021.
Chemical hazards accounted for 73% of deaths due to contaminated food in 2021, with inorganic arsenic (42%) and lead (31%) as leading causes.
Foodborne disease led to about US$ 310 billion in lost productivity in 2021, or US$ 647 billion when adjusted for cost-of-living differences.
The African and South-East Asian regions account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses and 60% of global deaths.
The estimates cover 42 major foodborne hazards from 194 countries from 2000 to 2021.
Key figures
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Yuki Minato, WHO technical officer for food safety and senior author of The Lancet Global Health paper
Sources: World Health Organization
