Cancer cases are rising across the European Union, driven by an aging population, lifestyle factors and improved screening practices. A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that the 27 EU member states recorded 2.7 million new cancer cases in 2024.
Since 2000, the number of new cancer cases has increased by approximately 30% for both men and women, with projections estimating a further half-million cases by 2040. The incidence of cancer is increasing particularly rapidly among young women, with estimates suggesting 2.4 women and 2.8 men will be diagnosed with cancer each minute in 2024.
Breast cancer accounts for 30% of estimated cancer rates among women, followed by colorectal cancer (12%) and lung cancer (9%). Among men, prostate cancer represents 22% of cases, with lung cancer at 14% and colorectal cancer at 13%.
The rate of new cancer cases relative to the population has increased by 16% over the past two decades. This increase is attributed to factors including greater screening for thyroid cancer, changes in reproductive patterns related to breast cancer, and early exposure and diet in the development of colorectal cancer. The rise in cancer cases among young women aged 15 to 49 has contributed to nearly a quarter of the overall change, while remaining largely unchanged among men of the same age.
Specifically, thyroid cancer (+9.9 per 100,000 women), breast cancer (+8.7), skin melanoma (+4.2), and colorectal cancer (+0.8) have contributed most to the increase in cancer incidence among young women since 2000. The most significant increases in breast cancer rates have been observed in Cyprus, Estonia, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. The highest incidence of thyroid cancer among young women was recorded in Cyprus, Croatia, and Italy.
Among men, the incidence of testicular cancer and early-onset skin melanoma increased by +3.7 per 100,000 and +2.8 per 100,000 respectively between 2000 and 2022. The most significant increases in testicular cancer rates were observed in Croatia, the Netherlands, and Poland.
In response to rising cancer rates, European countries have increased health expenditure dedicated to combating the disease. According to a 2025 report by the Swedish Institute for Health Economics, cancer-related expenditure represented approximately 4% of health spending in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) and around 8% in France, Germany, and Central and Eastern European countries including Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.
Health expenditure related to cancer in the EU has doubled since 1995, reaching 6.9% of total health expenditure in 2023. Cancer health spending has increased more rapidly in Central and Eastern Europe than in other regions between 1993 and 2023, leading to some convergence in cancer spending across countries. Growth in cancer expenditure has outpaced overall health spending in Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, but not in Estonia, Finland, Norway, or Slovenia.
Despite the proven cost-effectiveness of population-based cancer screening programs in improving early detection and survival rates, their implementation remains uneven across countries and socioeconomic groups. Men with low levels of education face a cancer mortality rate 83% higher than men with high levels of education, according to the OECD study. Similarly, women with low levels of education are 31% more likely to die from cancer than women with higher education levels.
Individuals diagnosed with cancer as well face ongoing challenges related to employment, financial security, and psychosocial health. A cancer diagnosis reduces the probability of employment by 14% on average, with the most significant impact observed in Central and Southern Europe.
The European Commission published national cancer profiles for all EU member states, Norway, and Iceland on February 3, 2025. These profiles, prepared in collaboration with the OECD, are released every two years, with the first edition appearing in February 2023, and serve as a regular reporting mechanism to assess cancer care and inequalities.