At the same time, the report notes a long-term improvement trend. Since 2000, the overall burden of foodborne diseases has been gradually declining, even as the absolute numbers remain alarmingly high.
Updated 2026 Estimates Reveal a Broader and More Complex Picture
The latest estimates, developed by WHO’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) covering 2021–2025, expand significantly on the earlier 2015 edition, which assessed 31 hazards. The new analysis now includes 42 microbiological, parasitic, and chemical threats, reflecting improved surveillance methods and updated modeling techniques.
Released ahead of World Food Safety Day on June 7, the findings align with this year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere,” which emphasizes strengthening food safety systems and using data-driven approaches to guide policy and investment.
The report also highlights advances in methodology, including strengthened source attribution models, standardized data collection, and probabilistic modeling. For the first time, it also quantifies non-communicable disease outcomes linked to toxic heavy metals in food, including cardiovascular disease and intellectual disability.
Key Global Figures Show Chemical Hazards Drive Most Deaths
In total, foodborne hazards in 2021 accounted for about 1.57 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), alongside 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deaths.
While microbial agents account for the vast majority of illnesses, chemical contaminants disproportionately drive mortality. According to WHO, chemical hazards were responsible for about 73% of all deaths linked to unsafe food, despite contributing to only a small share of total illnesses.
Inorganic arsenic alone accounted for 42% of deaths from contaminated food, while lead contributed 31%.
Overall chemical exposures were linked to 1.12 million deaths, underscoring a striking imbalance between illness burden and fatal outcomes.
Major Pathogens and Toxins Driving Global Disease
The updated estimates identify several key contributors to the global burden, spanning bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemical contaminants:
- Inorganic arsenic: 2.21 million illnesses, 641,000 deaths, 15.4 million DALYs
- Lead: 1.66 million illnesses, 466,000 deaths, 11.2 million DALYs
- Non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica: 23.5 million illnesses, 55,100 deaths, 3.58 million DALYs
- Norovirus: 54.8 million illnesses, 14,100 deaths, 2.65 million DALYs
- Shigella: 118 million illnesses, 42,500 deaths, 2.25 million DALYs
- Campylobacter (C. jejuni or C. coli): 148 million illnesses, 35,400 deaths, 2.15 million DALYs
- Rotavirus: 25.4 million illnesses, 26,000 deaths, 1.84 million DALYs
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli: 131,000 illnesses, 28,000 deaths, 1.79 million DALYs
- STEC: 51.9 million illnesses, 20,500 deaths, 1.24 million DALYs
- Toxoplasma gondii: 26.1 million illnesses, 495 deaths, 887,000 DALYs
- Cyclospora cayetanensis: 10.2 million illnesses, 14,600 deaths, 857,000 DALYs
- Vibrio cholerae: 23 million illnesses, 21,400 deaths, 821,000 DALYs
- Hepatitis A virus: 20 million illnesses, 11,900 deaths, 821,000 DALYs
- Cryptosporidium: 16.2 million illnesses, 11,400 deaths, 769,000 DALYs
- Aflatoxin B1: 14,000 illnesses, 13,200 deaths, 412,000 DALYs
- Listeria monocytogenes: 22,800 illnesses, more than 5,200 deaths, 192,000 DALYs
WHO noted that inorganic arsenic, lead, and non-typhoidal Salmonella together accounted for the highest DALY burden globally.
Regional Inequality: Africa and Southeast Asia Bear the Heaviest Load
The data also reveal stark regional disparities. The highest burden was recorded in Southeast Asia (24.22 million DALYs) and Africa (13.66 million DALYs), driven largely by diarrheal diseases and chemical exposures.
By contrast, Europe recorded the lowest burden at 2.06 million DALYs.
These differences reflect variations in food systems, infrastructure, socioeconomic conditions, and exposure risks. WHO also noted that certain parasitic infections, though limited globally, can be highly concentrated and severe in specific regions.
Children Under Five Face Disproportionate Risk
The report highlights a particularly severe impact on young children. Incidence rates among children under five were two to seven times higher than in older populations, with DALY rates three to four times greater.
The leading causes of burden in this age group included methylmercury exposure, non-typhoidal Salmonella, and rotavirus infections. For older populations, inorganic arsenic and lead became more prominent contributors alongside Salmonella.
Economic Costs Reach $647 Billion Globally
Beyond health outcomes, the economic impact is substantial. Foodborne diseases resulted in an estimated $310 billion in productivity losses in nominal terms, rising to $647 billion when adjusted for purchasing power parity.
Low- and middle-income countries accounted for the largest share of losses, totaling about $202 billion, while high-income countries incurred nearly $108 billion.
WHO research further suggests that investing in food safety systems delivers strong returns, with every $1 invested potentially yielding $46 in public health benefits.
“A Wake-Up Call” for Governments and Health Systems
WHO officials stress that the findings should translate into stronger action at national and global levels.
“This report is a wake-up call—but also a roadmap. The data show that foodborne diseases are not only persistent but are being made worse by climate change, which increases contamination risks, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections harder to treat. We cannot tackle these threats alone,” said Yuki Minato, M.P.H., WHO Technical Officer for Food Safety and senior author of the report. “A One Health approach—integrating human, animal, plant, and environmental health—is essential. Countries must act urgently, using these estimates to target interventions, invest in surveillance, and break down the silos between health, agriculture, and environment sectors. Delay costs lives.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added: “For the first time, countries have their own data to see where the burden is highest. With that knowledge, governments can prioritize the actions needed to protect people’s health.”
From Data to Action: The Central Message
While the new estimates show encouraging long-term declines in overall burden, the scale of harm remains significant. WHO’s message is clear: foodborne disease is both preventable and unevenly distributed, and targeted investment in surveillance, infrastructure, and coordinated “One Health” strategies could dramatically reduce its impact.
The challenge now, according to the report, is not a lack of knowledge—but the urgency to act on it.