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Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma · Understanding the disease

Where in the world is nasopharyngeal carcinoma most common?

Reviewed: 8 November 2026 By: Xiangpeng Liu, MD Topic: Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Answer length: short, citable
Quick answer

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma is not evenly distributed: the highest-burden regions are South-East Asia, East Asia / southern China and Northern Africa & the Middle East. In 2022 there were 120,434 new nasopharyngeal cancer cases worldwide worldwide (ASR 1.3 per 100,000 (men 1.9, women 0.7); 15.9% of lip/oral/pharyngeal cancers in 2022), with marked country-to-country variation driven by local exposures such as tobacco, areca nut, oncogenic viruses, ultraviolet radiation and occupational carcinogens.

In detail

The regional pattern matters clinically. A patient from South-East Asia may present with a different risk-factor profile and a different stage distribution than a patient from a low-incidence country, which changes both the differential diagnosis and the pretreatment work-up.

All incidence figures on this site are age-standardised rates or absolute case counts from GLOBOCAN 2022 and its subsite analyses. They describe populations, not individual risk.

  • South-East Asia: 50.8% of all lip/oral/pharyngeal cancers in the region; ~35,889 cases in 2022. Highest national ASRs: Brunei 6.4, Indonesia 6.1, Malaysia 5.9, Singapore 5.4, Vietnam 4.7, Philippines 3.5. Male ASRs reach 9.6 in Indonesia and 8.9 in Malaysia.
  • East Asia / southern China: China recorded 51,010 cases (about 51% of the world total) with an ASR of 2.4; incidence is far higher in southern provinces such as Guangdong and Guangxi than in the north.
  • Northern Africa & the Middle East: NPC is the leading lip/oral/pharyngeal subsite in Northern Africa (41.8%). Algeria recorded 1,608 cases with an ASR of 3.5 (4.8 in men) and 971 deaths; Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan also have intermediate endemic rates.
  • South Asia: Maldives had the highest reported ASR worldwide (7.5) but only 36 cases, illustrating how small populations can produce unstable rates. India had 6,519 cases at ASR 0.5.
  • North America & Europe: Rare: US ASR about 0.4 with 2,008 cases; Europe 4,513 cases. Western cases are more often keratinising and more often tobacco/alcohol associated.

What this means in practice: this answer is part of the “Understanding the disease” section of the Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma topic. If you are comparing treatment options, also read how to compare a second opinion and which records to send.

Other common questions about nasopharyngeal carcinoma

See all 15 questions in this topic →

Sources for this answer

  1. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.
  2. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2022) International Agency for Research on Cancer / WHO · 2022 · Source of worldwide and country-level incidence and mortality estimates.
  3. Global Cancer Facts & Figures, 5th Edition (GLOBOCAN 2022 tables) American Cancer Society · 2024
  4. Nasopharyngeal cancer statistics (GLOBOCAN 2022 country rankings) World Cancer Research Fund International · 2022
  5. Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Southeast Asia: Current Landscape and Future Priorities Frontiers / British Journal of Biomedical Science partnership · 2025 · 83.3% of the 120,434 global NPC cases in 2022 occurred in Asia.
  6. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2022) International Agency for Research on Cancer / WHO · 2022 · Source of worldwide and country-level incidence and mortality estimates.
  7. Global incidence of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers by subsite in 2022 CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · 2026 · Subsite-level estimates for 185 countries; the basis of the regional atlas on this site.

Written and medically reviewed by Xiangpeng Liu, MD

Associate Chief Physician, ENT & Head/Neck Surgery · Chenzhou First People’s Hospital, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Editorial policy & reviewer credentials · All sources

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Medical disclaimer: This knowledge base is general information for people researching head and neck tumours, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It does not replace an examination by a qualified physician. Survival figures are population averages, not predictions for an individual. Treatment and cost estimates for China are illustrative only and must be confirmed in writing after your records have been reviewed. If you have a symptom lasting more than two to three weeks, see a doctor promptly.