Heart disease remains top killer in Philippines — PSA

Ischaemic heart diseases remained the leading cause of death in the Philippines from January to September 2025, according to provisional data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In its latest report, the PSA said heart-related illnesses accounted for 89,068 deaths, or 19.8 percent of total recorded fatalities nationwide during the nine-month period.

Neoplasms, or cancers, ranked second with 51,904 deaths (11.6 percent), followed by cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, with 44,593 cases (9.9 percent).

Pneumonia emerged as the fourth leading cause of death with 29,797 cases (6.6 percent), while diabetes mellitus placed fifth, accounting for 27,516 deaths or 6.1 percent of the total.

The top five causes remained unchanged from the same period in 2024, indicating persistent health challenges linked to noncommunicable diseases in the country.

The PSA noted that the data are based on registered deaths submitted by local civil registrars nationwide and processed as of 31 January 2026. The figures are still provisional and may be updated in the final report scheduled for release in January 2027.

The report covers deaths that occurred within the Philippines during the reference period, including foreign nationals who died in the country, but excludes deaths of Filipinos abroad.