Tuberculosis Incidence Rate
Estimated number of new tuberculosis cases per 100,000 population per year.
Quick Reference
Unit
per 100,000 people
Category
Health
Metric Code
tuberculosis_incidence
How It's Calculated
Estimated new and relapse TB cases (all forms) divided by population, multiplied by 100,000. Based on national TB surveillance systems, notification data, prevalence surveys, and WHO Global TB Programme modeling. Includes pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB, drug-susceptible and drug-resistant cases.
Why It Matters
TB is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent (above HIV/AIDS since 2023). It disproportionately affects low-income countries and vulnerable populations (HIV-positive, malnourished, overcrowded housing). Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is a growing threat. TB incidence reflects health system capacity for early detection, effective treatment, and infection control. It is SDG Indicator 3.3.2.
Understanding the Values
Very Low: < 10 per 100,000 (End TB target met - elimination phase) Low: 10-50 (low burden - most high-income countries) Moderate: 50-150 (moderate burden - middle-income countries) High: 150-300 (high burden - 30 high-burden countries) Very High: > 300 (severe burden - Lesotho 615, Philippines 554) WHO End TB Strategy: < 10 per 100,000 by 2035 Global incidence: ~134 per 100,000 (10.6 million cases, 2022) Drug-resistant TB: ~450,000 MDR/RR-TB cases (2022)
Related Metrics
Data Quality & Coverage
Coverage: 215 countries/territories Update frequency: Annual Source: UN Data / WHO Global TB Report Limitations: Case detection gaps mean true incidence higher than notifications. Estimates based on models for countries with weak surveillance. Does not distinguish between drug-susceptible and drug-resistant cases. HIV-TB co-infection complicates diagnosis. Treatment outcomes (cure, failure, relapse) not captured in incidence.