Who dies of colorectal cancer?
In the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, 2.9% of men and 2.3% of women eventually die of colorectal cancer. It is never the most likely cause of death for any one country, sex and age group — but it adds up over a lifetime.
The risk by age
Chance of dying of colorectal cancer within 10 years, and its share of all the risk at that age — the median of 36 countries. Your own country's numbers are one click away on its page.
| Age | men | women |
|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | <0.01% (0.26% of the risk) | <0.01% (0.60% of the risk) |
| 20–24 | <0.01% (0.69% of the risk) | <0.01% (1.6% of the risk) |
| 25–29 | 0.01% (1.3% of the risk) | <0.01% (2.6% of the risk) |
| 30–34 | 0.02% (1.7% of the risk) | 0.02% (3.5% of the risk) |
| 35–39 | 0.05% (2.4% of the risk) | 0.04% (4.0% of the risk) |
| 40–44 | 0.09% (3.1% of the risk) | 0.07% (4.4% of the risk) |
| 45–49 | 0.15% (3.6% of the risk) | 0.10% (4.7% of the risk) |
| 50–54 | 0.24% (3.8% of the risk) | 0.15% (4.5% of the risk) |
| 55–59 | 0.38% (4.0% of the risk) | 0.23% (4.2% of the risk) |
| 60–64 | 0.56% (4.0% of the risk) | 0.35% (3.9% of the risk) |
| 65–69 | 0.83% (3.7% of the risk) | 0.51% (3.5% of the risk) |
| 70–74 | 1.2% (3.5% of the risk) | 0.75% (3.1% of the risk) |
| 75–79 | 1.6% (3.0% of the risk) | 1.0% (2.6% of the risk) |
| 80–84 | 1.8% (2.5% of the risk) | 1.3% (2.0% of the risk) |
| 85–89 | 1.8% (2.0% of the risk) | 1.2% (1.4% of the risk) |
| 90–94 | 1.4% (1.5% of the risk) | 0.96% (1.0% of the risk) |
Lifetime chance, men: highest and lowest countries
Lifetime chance, women: highest and lowest countries
What changes the odds
- People with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more): about 1.8 times as often as people of healthy weight.
- In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.4 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015).
- Heavy drinkers: about 1.3 times as often as people who don't drink.
Weight, exercise, alcohol and diet at age 55, from the published studies behind Odainn's personal numbers — methodology.
What you can do
- Take part in bowel screening when you're invited — it finds cancer early and removes growths before they turn into cancer.
- If a parent, brother, sister or child had bowel cancer, ask about earlier checks.
- Stay active, keep a healthy weight, eat fibre, limit red and processed meat and alcohol, and don't smoke.
Act fast: Blood in your poo, a change in bowel habits for 3 weeks or more, unexplained weight loss or tummy pain: see a doctor.
Sources: EU Council Recommendation on cancer screening (2022); IARC Monographs: red and processed meat (2015); NHS: Bowel cancer — symptoms. General guidance, not medical advice.
Screening for colorectal cancer, by country
Programmes start at 45 in Austria, Czechia, Luxembourg and the United States, at 50 in 22 countries, at 55 in the Netherlands and Norway, at 56 in Estonia, at 57 in Ireland, and at 60 in Finland and Sweden. Below, each national programme's ages and intervals — the same ones Odainn uses for members' check-ups.
| Country | Who and how often |
|---|---|
| Austria | From 45: a stool test every 2 years to 75, or a colonoscopy every 10 yearsGesundheitsportal: bowel cancer screening from 45 (stool test to 75; colonoscopy every 10 years) |
| Czechia | Ages 45–74: a stool test every 2 years, or a colonoscopy every 10 yearsCzech colorectal screening programme (45–74) |
| Luxembourg | Every 2 years, ages 45–74 (home stool test)Luxembourg colorectal screening programme (45–74 since July 2024) |
| United States | Ages 45–75 — a stool test (FIT) every year, or a colonoscopy every 10 yearsUSPSTF: Colorectal cancer — screening (2021; grade A at 50–75, grade B at 45–49) |
| Belgium | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)Regional bowel screening programmes — Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels (50–74) |
| Canada | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)CTFPHC: Colorectal cancer screening (2016) |
| Croatia | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)HZJZ national bowel screening (50–74) |
| Cyprus | Home stool test every 2 years, ages 50–74 — free from the Ministry of HealthCyprus Ministry of Health: population-based colorectal screening (50–74, every 2 years) |
| Denmark | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)Danish bowel cancer screening (50–74) |
| France | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)Dépistage organisé du cancer colorectal (Assurance maladie) |
| Germany | From 50: a colonoscopy (twice, 10 years apart) or a stool test every 2 yearsG-BA colorectal cancer screening (women and men from 50 since April 2025) |
| Greece | Home stool test at 50–69, colonoscopy if it's positive — free in the national programme ΠρολαμβάνωGreek Ministry of Health (October 2024): Προλαμβάνω bowel screening for everyone aged 50–69 |
| Hungary | Every 2 years, ages 50–70 (home stool test)NNGYK bowel screening (50–70) |
| Italy | Every 2 years, ages 50–69 (stool test; some regions to 74)LEA: colorectal screening 50–69 |
| Latvia | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test, through your family doctor)NVD bowel screening (50–74) |
| Lithuania | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)Lithuanian bowel screening programme (50–74) |
| Malta | Home stool test (FIT), ages 50–74 — free at the National Screening Centre (call 2122 7470 if you weren't invited)Malta National Screening Centre: bowel screening 50–74 |
| Poland | Colonoscopy once every 10 years, ages 50–65 (from 40 if a parent, sibling or child had bowel cancer)NFZ colorectal cancer screening programme (colonoscopy, 50–65) |
| Portugal | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)DGS standard 11/2025: bowel screening 50–74 |
| Serbia | Home stool test every 2 years, ages 50–74; colonoscopy if it's positive — free in the national screening programmeSerbia's organised bowel screening (Batut Institute): 50–74, every 2 years |
| Slovakia | Ages 50–75: a stool test every 2 years, or a colonoscopy every 10 yearsSlovak bowel screening (50–75, Ministry of Health) |
| Slovenia | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test, programme Svit)Program Svit (50–74) |
| Spain | Every 2 years, ages 50–69 (home stool test; some regions to 74)SNS common portfolio: colorectal screening 50–69 (2014) |
| Switzerland | Ages 50–74: a stool test every 2 years, or a colonoscopy every 10 yearsKLV Art. 12e: covered at 50–74 (no deductible in cantonal programmes) |
| Türkiye | Home stool test every 2 years, ages 50–70 — free at your family health centre or a KETEMTurkish Ministry of Health national cancer screening programmes: bowel 50–70 |
| United Kingdom | Every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home FIT kit; 60–74 in Northern Ireland)NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (England from 50 since 2025; Scotland, Wales 50–74; NI 60–74) |
| Netherlands | Every 2 years, ages 55–75 (home stool test)RIVM bevolkingsonderzoek darmkanker (55–75) |
| Norway | A stool test every 2 years from the year you turn 55, five timesNorwegian bowel cancer screening (from 55, five rounds) |
| Estonia | Every 2 years, ages 56–68 (home stool test)Tervisekassa bowel screening (56–68) |
| Ireland | Every 2 years, ages 57–71 (home test kit)HSE BowelScreen (57–71 since April 2026) |
| Finland | Every 2 years, now ages 60–72 (widening to 56–74 by 2031)Finnish bowel cancer screening (60–72, expanding to 56–74) |
| Sweden | Every 2 years, ages 60–74 (home stool test)Swedish national bowel cancer screening (60–74) |
For the other 5 countries we cover, Odainn follows the EU's 2022 recommendation and European guidelines: every 2 years, ages 50–74.
Members see which checks are due for themselves and their family, following each person's own country — sources and dates.
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Questions
- At what age is colorectal cancer most likely to be the cause of death?
- For men, colorectal cancer takes its largest share of deaths at 60–64: 4.0% of the risk of dying in the next 10 years, in the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age.
- Which country has the highest risk of dying of colorectal cancer?
- Of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, Croatia has the highest lifetime chance of dying of colorectal cancer for men (4.5%), and Türkiye the lowest (1.6%).
- What raises the risk of dying of colorectal cancer?
- People with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more): about 1.8 times as often as people of healthy weight. In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.4 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015). Heavy drinkers: about 1.3 times as often as people who don't drink.
- At what age does screening for colorectal cancer start?
- Programmes start at 45 in Austria, Czechia, Luxembourg and the United States, at 50 in 22 countries, at 55 in the Netherlands and Norway, at 56 in Estonia, at 57 in Ireland, and at 60 in Finland and Sweden. For the other 5 countries we cover, Odainn follows the EU's 2022 recommendation and European guidelines: every 2 years, ages 50–74.
Computed by Odainn from official mortality statistics (Eurostat; ONS, NRS and NISRA; CDC; Statistics Canada) for 36 countries, latest years — how we calculate. Belarus is left out: deaths by cause and age aren't published together there, so the split by cause is our estimate. Population statistics, not a prediction for any individual. Educational, not medical advice.