Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) statistics

Cases

New cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia each year, 2017-2019 average, UK.

Deaths

Deaths from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, 2017-2019, UK.

  • There are around 4,000 new chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cases in the UK every year, that's 11 every day (2017-2019).
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounted for 1% of all new cancer cases in the UK in 2017-2019.
  • In females in the UK, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounted for around 1,500 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounted for around 2,500 new cancer cases every year (2017-2019).
  • Incidence rates for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in the UK are highest in people aged 85 to 89 (2017-2019).
  • Each year around 4 in 10 (41%) of all new chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1990s, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia incidence rates have increased by almost a sixth (16%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by a seventh (14%), and rates in males have increased by around a tenth (9%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia incidence rates have decreased by around a twentieth (6%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by more than a twentieth (7%), and rates in males have decreased by more than a twentieth (7%) (2017-2019).
  • Leukaemia (CLL) in England is not associated with deprivation.
  • Incidence rates for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are lower in the Asian and Black ethnic groups, compared with the White ethnic group, in England (2013-2017). See our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details.
  • An estimated 20,200 people who had previously been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth CLL incidence statistics

  • There are around 980 chronic lymphocytic leukaemia deaths in the UK every year, that's more than 2 every day (2017-2019).
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths in the UK (2017-2019).
  • In females in the UK, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounts for around 380 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia accounts for around 590 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in the UK are highest in people aged 90+ (2017-2019).
  • Each year around 8 in 10 of all chronic lymphocytic leukaemia deaths (79%) in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1970s, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia mortality rates have decreased by more than a fifth (22%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by a quarter (25%), and rates in males have decreased by around a quarter (26%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia mortality rates have decreased by more than a quarter (28%) in the UK. Rates in females have decreased by more than a quarter (27%), and rates in males have decreased by almost a third (30%) (2017-2019).
  • Leukaemia (CLL) in England is not associated with deprivation.

See more in-depth CLL mortality statistics

  • Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia survival data are available on the HMRN website.
  • Five-year relative survival for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is generally similar to the European average in the UK. Further details on cancer survival in Europe can be found on the EUROCARE website.
  • Further one-, five- and ten-year survival statistics can be found on the Cancer Statistics Dashboard.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.