COPD caused 3.2 million deaths worldwide in 2015 – up almost 12% from 1990 as population growth and ageing outweighed any downward trend in age-standardised death rates.
The prevalence of the disease has also increased by 44.2% from 1990 to a sobering 174.5 million people.
One of Australia’s nearest neighbours, Papua New Guinea, shares the highest rates of COPD along with India, Lesotho and Nepal.
The statistics, from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015, come with the reminder that COPD is largely preventable.
Smoking, ambient particulates, household pollution, occupational particulates, ozone and second-hand smoke explain more than 73% of the disability-adjusted life years due to COPD.
Progress in tobacco control has not been universal and while household air pollution due to solid fuels has decreased since 1990, ambient air pollution has increased.