Global Tuberculosis Burden
According to the most recent data, approximately 10.7 million people worldwide developed active tuberculosis in 2024, representing a global incidence of approximately 133 cases per 100,000 population 1, 2.
Current Epidemiological Data
The global TB burden has shown concerning trends:
- Active TB cases: 10.7 million new cases in 2024, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children 1
- Mortality: Approximately 1.23 million deaths from TB in 2024, including 150,000 deaths among people living with HIV 1
- TB infection reservoir: Approximately one-fifth of the world's population (roughly 2 billion people) has latent TB infection 1
Geographic Distribution
TB burden is highly concentrated geographically, reflecting persistent social, economic, and health-system inequalities:
- Seven countries accounted for two-thirds of global cases in recent years: India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, South Africa, and Nigeria 3
- All regions are affected, but sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden, particularly for TB/HIV coinfection 1
Drug-Resistant TB
The drug-resistant TB situation remains critical:
- MDR/RR-TB: Approximately 500,000 cases globally, with 3.3% of new cases and 18% of previously treated cases having multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB 4
- XDR-TB: Reported from 105 countries 5
- Only 44% of estimated MDR/RR-TB cases were detected and notified in 2019, indicating massive diagnostic gaps 4
Recent Trends
TB incidence declined between 2000 and 2019 but stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic 1. The data shows:
- Global mortality rate decreasing by 3.4% per year pre-pandemic 3
- Incidence decreasing by 1.9% per year pre-pandemic 3
- An estimated 53 million deaths averted through successful treatment from 2000-2016 3
- Case detection and mortality have only partially recovered since 2022 1
Critical Gaps
Major challenges persist in TB control:
- Only 61% of estimated incident cases are detected and reported globally 3
- Only 20% of people with drug-resistant TB are enrolled in treatment 3
- Treatment success rates remain unacceptably low at 57% for MDR/RR-TB patients 4
These figures underscore that TB remains the leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide despite availability of effective treatment 1, with current progress insufficient to meet WHO End TB Strategy targets for 2030.