Between 2013 and 2023, 40,538 cases of occupational cancers were officially recognised in the EU. In 2023, 3,500 occupational cancers were recognized, 191 cases more than in 2022 (3,309).
Occupational cancer is the term given to cancers caused by exposure to carcinogenic factors in the working environment, generally due to long-term exposure. Many of these cases emerge several years after initial exposure, even after 40 years.
Figures for 2020 (3,094 cases), 2021 (3,258) and 2022 (3,309) were lower than the 2013-2019 annual average of 3 909 cases per year, possibly due to the impact of the global pandemic on work environments and healthcare systems.
This information comes from data on occupational diseases published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article occupational cancers.
Source dataset: hsw_occ_cnr
Lung cancer and mesothelioma: 81.3% of cases
A closer look at data from 2013 to 2023 reveals that the most common types of recognised occupational cancers were lung cancer with 16,499 cases, and mesothelioma with 16,469 cases (a type of cancer connected to asbestos exposure, which develops in the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs, known as the mesothelium). These 2 types of cancers combined added up to 81.3% of all newly recognized occupational cancer cases during this period. They were followed by 2,696 cases of bladder cancer.
Source dataset: hsw_occ_cnr
For more information
- Statistics explained article on occupational diseases statistics
- Thematic section on European Occupational Diseases Statistics
- Thematic section on health
- Database on health
Methodological notes
- The data for the EU are based on the information available for 24 EU countries (except for Germany, Greece and Portugal).
- An occupational disease case is defined as one that has been officially recognized by the national authorities responsible for acknowledging such conditions. The process and criteria for recognition can vary significantly depending on the specific implementation within each EU country.
- Full names of occupational cancers, according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10 2010) are as follows: malignant neoplasm of nasal cavity and middle ear; malignant neoplasm of accessory sinuses; malignant neoplasm of larynx; malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung; malignant melanoma of skin; other malignant neoplasms of skin; mesothelioma; malignant neoplasm of bladder; lymphoid leukaemia; myeloid leukaemia; leukaemia of unspecified cell type; other malignant neoplasms.
