World-wide causes of death

[susan]

We can do better than that. We don’t have good data for most of history, but we have OK data for most of the world now. One of the best-known collectors is the World Health Organization, which publishes top-ten causes-of-death lists for different “economy income groups.”

May we have the cite for this, please? Thank you.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

I assume this is in reference to Cecil’s new column How have most human beings died throughout history?

The cite is easy to find.
Top ten causes of death - WHO.

[Melbourne]

the leading cause of death throughout human history has been lower respiratory infection, mainly pneumonia, bronchitis and the flu.

Just to note that, on my reading, the leading cause of lower respiratory infection death due to Influenza is concomitant/subsequent bacterial pneumonia.

[susan]

Thank you. I can find WHO stats, but wanted to look at the specific page Cecil was working with.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@susan

Thank you. I can find WHO stats, but wanted to look at the specific page Cecil was working with.

Page two of the link I gave specifically lists "top-ten causes-of-death lists for different “economy income groups.” "

[susan]

Thank you.

[Senegoid]

@Cecil

Here we have the benefit of work done by others. In the 1970s, when fears about the population explosion were at their peak, the story arose that 75 percent (or some other large fraction) of all people who’d ever been born were then alive — the idea being that we’d reached the hockey-stick inflection point on the growth curve and population was increasing exponentially.

What’s a “hockey-stick inflection point” ?

[John_W.Kennedy]

@Senegoid

What’s a “hockey-stick inflection point” ?

A point on a graph where the line suddenly goes up (or down, but it’s usually up) in a shape vaguely like the bend in a hockey stick. It happens in many statistical situations.