India recorded the world’s second-highest number of people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 2023 — an estimated 138 million cases — trailing only China’s 152 million, according to a global study published in The Lancet journal.
The study, led by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and other institutions in the US and UK, found that CKD was the ninth-leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 1.5 million lives in 2023 alone.
Globally, the highest prevalence of CKD was reported in North Africa and the Middle East (18% each), followed by South Asia (16%), and over 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Experts say the findings highlight the urgent need for early detection, prevention, and stronger public health strategies to tackle kidney-related diseases, particularly in developing nations like India.