Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) statistics

Cases

New cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia each year, 2017-2019 average, UK.

Deaths

Deaths from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 2017-2019, UK.

  • There are around 760 new acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cases in the UK every year, that's around 2 every day (2017-2019).
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounted for less than 1% of all new cancer cases in the UK in 2017-2019.
  • In females in the UK, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounted for around 310 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounted for around 450 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
  • Incidence rates for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the UK are highest in people aged 0 to 04 (2017-2019).
  • Each year around 5 in 100 (6%) of all new acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1990s, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia incidence rates have remained stable in the UK. Rates in females have remained stable, and rates in males have remained stable (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia incidence rates have remained stable in the UK. Rates in females have remained stable, and rates in males have remained stable (2017-2019).
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia incidence rates in England in females are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia incidence rates for persons are higher in the Asian ethnic group, compared with the White ethnic group, in England (2013-2017). See our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details, including breakdowns for sex.
  • An estimated 8,200 people who had previously been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth ALL incidence statistics

  • There are around 250 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia deaths in the UK every year, that's around 5 every week (2017-2019).
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths in the UK (2017-2019).
  • In females in the UK, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounts for around 100 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia accounts for around 150 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the UK are highest in people aged 75 to 79 (2017-2019).
  • Each year a fifth of all acute lymphoblastic leukaemia deaths (20%) in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1970s, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia mortality rates have decreased by half (50%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by almost half (48%), and rates in males have decreased by more than half (52%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia mortality rates have remained stable in the UK. Rates in females have remained stable, and rates in males have remained stable (2017-2019).
  • Leukaemia (ALL) in England is not associated with deprivation.

See more in-depth ALL mortality statistics

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia survival data are available on the HMRN website.
  • Five-year relative survival for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is similar to the European average in the UK. Further details on cancer survival in Europe can be found on the EUROCARE website.
  • Further one-, five- and ten-year survival statistics can be found on the Cancer Statistics Dashboard.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.