Cyprus had the EU’s lowest standardised rate of cancer-related deaths, with 194 for every 100,000 inhabitants in 2016, according to Eurostat data released on the occasion of World Cancer Day.
In Greece, it was 249 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants, close to the EU average.
Almost 1.2 million people died from cancer in the European Union in 2016.
Cancer was responsible for over one quarter (26%) of all deaths recorded in the EU.
Men (656,100 deaths due to cancer) were more affected than women (511,600).
Cancer caused 29% of deaths of men and around 23% of deaths of women.
Fatal cancers caused 288,900 deaths among people under 65 years in the EU, corresponding to 37% of all deaths in this age group, while less than one quarter (878,800 deaths, 23%) of all deaths among those aged over 65.
The main fatal cancers are lung cancer for men and breast cancer for women.
Lung cancer claimed 239,000 lives in the EU, accounting for one fifth (20%) of all deaths due to cancer.
Colorectal cancer (139,700 deaths, 12%), breast cancer (85,300, 7%), pancreatic cancers (78,700, 7%) and prostate cancer (65,200, 6%) were also frequent causes of death.
Lung cancer was responsible for one quarter (165,000 deaths, 25%) of all male deaths from cancer.
This was far more than colorectal cancer (77,400, 12%) and prostate cancer (65,200, 10%).
Breast cancer (84,300 deaths, 16%), lung cancer (74,100, 14%) and colorectal cancer (62,300, 12%) caused the most cancer deaths among women.
Across the European Union, there were 257 deaths from cancer per 100,000 in 2016.
With 345 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants, Hungary recorded the highest age-standardised death rate from cancer among EU Member States.
High death rates from cancer were also registered in Croatia (334), Slovakia (315) and Slovenia (309).
Low death rates from cancer were recorded in a number of Mediterranean and Nordic countries.
The lowest rate was recorded in Cyprus with 194 deaths from cancer per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Finland (220), Malta (221), Sweden (229) and Spain (230).
Over the period from 2011 to 2016, the age-standardised death rate has fallen slowly but steadily, from 266 deaths from cancer per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to 257 in 2016.
