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Smokers Prevalence vs. Lung Cancer Rates
The 15 western countries with the lowest lung cancer death rates and the USAand their smokers prevalences
I have taken the figures from the list of 87 countries, based on figures by the WHO and CIA and compiled the Top 15 lung cancer death rates for males and females.
Because this top 15 consisted only of developing nations, and the chance that this is caused by low detection rates due to lower health care quality is probable, I decided to limit the top 15 to western countries (Western Europe, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand). You are of course free to compile your own selection if you don't agree with mine.
Because the age adjusted Lung Cancer Death rates per 100.000 inhabitants and
the percentage of inhabitants over 15 years of age that smoke are known, the (theoretical) Lung Cancer
Death Rate per 100.000 smokers are easily calculated.*
Why do so many more smokers statistically die from lung cancer in one country than the other?
Why do twice as many Swedish (male) smokers seem to die of lung cancer than Japanese smokers for instance?
Male
Top 15 (+US) Lung Cancer Death Rates
compared to smokers prevalences
| LCDR age adjusted, per 100,000 | Smokers Prevalence in percentages, age 15+ | LCDR per 100,000 smokers
| 1. |  Sweden
| 35.5 (e. '90s)
| 22.0 ('94)
| 161.4
| 2. |  Israel
| 38.1 (e. '90s)
| 45.0 ('90)
| 84.7
| 3. |  Portugal
| 40.7 (e. '90s)
| 38.0 ('94)
| 107.1
| 4. |  Norway
| 45.9 (e. '90s)
| 36.3 ('94)
| 127.5
| 5. |  Iceland
| 46.8 (e. '90s)
| 31.0 ('94)
| 151.0
| 6. |  Japan
| 47.9 (e. '90s)
| 59.0 ('94)
| 81.2
| 7. |  Australia
| 61.1 (e. '90s)
| 29.0 ('93)
| 210.7
| 8. |  New Zealand
| 64.9 (e. '90s)
| 27.0 ('95)
| 240.4
| 9. |  Switzerland
| 65.0 (e. '90s)
| 36.0 ('92)
| 180.6
| 10. |  Austria
| 66.2 (e. '90s)
| 42.0 ('92)
| 157.6
| 11. |  France
| 68.6 (e. '90s)
| 40.0 ('93)
| 171.5
| 12. |  Spain
| 69.0 (e. '90s)
| 48.0 ('93)
| 143.8
| 13. |  Ireland
| 69.9 (e. '90s)
| 29.0 ('93)
| 241.0
| 14. |  Finland
| 69.7 (e. '90s)
| 27.0 ('94)
| 258.1
| 15. |  Germany
| 71.3 (e. '90s)
| 36.8 ('92)
| 193.8
| ... |  USA
| 85.9 (e. '90s)
| 28.1 ('91)
| 305.7
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Female
Top 15 (+US) Lung Cancer Death Rates
compared to smokers prevalences
| LCDR age adjusted, per 100,000 | Smokers Prevalence in percentages, age 15+ | LCDR per 100,000 smokers
| 1. | Spain
| 5.4 (e. '90s)
| 25.0 ('93)
| 21.6
| 2. | Portugal
| 6.8 (e. '90s)
| 15.0 ('94)
| 45.3
| 3. | France
| 7.7 (e. '90s)
| 27.0 ('93)
| 28.5
| 4. |  Greece
| 10.3 (e. '90s)
| 28.0 ('94)
| 36.8
| 5. | Finland
| 10.4 (e. '90s)
| 19.0 ('94)
| 54.7
| 6. |  Italy
| 10.9 (e. '90s)
| 26.0 ('94)
| 41.9
| 7. |  Belgium
| 10.9 ('85-89)
| 19.0 ('93)
| 57.4
| 8. | Israel
| 12.1 (e. '90s)
| 30.0 ('90)
| 40.3
| 9. | Germany
| 12.2 (e. '90s)
| 21.5 ('92)
| 56.7
| 10. | Japan
| 12.6 (e. '90s)
| 14.8 ('94)
| 85.1
| 11. | Austria
| 13.7 (e. '90s)
| 27.0 ('92)
| 50.7
| 12. |  Luxembourg
| 14.8 (e. '90s)
| 26.0 ('93)
| 56.9
| 13. | Sweden
| 15.4 (e. '90s)
| 24.0 ('94)
| 63.8
| 14. | Norway
| 15.3 (e. '90s)
| 35.5 ('94)
| 43.4
| 15. |  Netherlands
| 15.5 (e. '90s)
| 29.0 ('92)
| 53.4
| ... | USA
| 36.9 (e. '90s)
| 23.5 ('91)
| 157.0
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* purely statistical: 'all lung cancer deaths divided by all smokers multiplied by 100.000', compared to the given 'all lung cancer deaths divided by all inhabitants multiplied by 100.000'. The used formula is: (LCDR / Prevalence) * 100