Spain mortality transition to heart disease

In mid‑2026, national mortality data showed cancer surpassing cardiovascular disease as Spain’s leading cause of death in 2025, accounting for 26.3 % of deaths versus 25.7 % for circulatory diseases. Lung cancer was the most lethal tumour, while the ageing population intensified overall mortality.

A month later, regional figures from the Valencian Community indicated a reversal: circulatory diseases were the top cause of death in 2025, representing 27.5 % of deaths, with cancer falling to second place at 26 %. The gender breakdown showed women more affected by circulatory illnesses, while men still saw tumours as the primary cause. Earlier city‑level data from Valencia in 2024 had listed cancer as the leading cause, underscoring how mortality patterns can differ between national and regional levels and shift over time.

Together, the snapshots illustrate a nuanced transition in Spain’s health landscape, where the balance between cancer and heart disease as leading killers varies across regions, gender, and year‑on‑year trends.