Provisional data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reveals that ischaemic heart diseases were the number one cause of death among Filipinos during the first six months of 2025. The figures, released on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, show a consistent and troubling pattern from the previous year.
Top Killers: A Consistent and Deadly Ranking
From January to June 2025, ischaemic heart diseases claimed 53,985 lives, accounting for nearly one-fifth (19.9%) of all deaths nationwide. This condition, often linked to narrowed heart arteries that reduce blood flow, held the same top position in the first half of 2024.
The second leading cause was neoplasms, or abnormal tissue growths which include cancers, with 30,961 recorded deaths (11.4% of the total). In third place were cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, which resulted in 27,164 fatalities, making up 10.0% of the period's mortality.
Understanding the Major Health Threats
Medical experts define ischaemic heart disease as damage caused by arteries that supply blood to the heart becoming narrowed. Neoplasms refer to both benign and malignant tumors from uncontrolled cell growth. Cerebrovascular diseases involve disorders of the brain's blood vessels, with stroke being the most severe form.
Rounding out the top five causes were pneumonia, in fourth place with 18,365 cases (6.8%), and diabetes mellitus, ranking fifth with 16,632 deaths (6.1%).
Unchanged Rankings Highlight Persistent Health Challenges
The PSA emphasized that the rankings for the top three causes of death remained unchanged from the same period in 2024, based on provisional figures compiled as of October 31, 2025. This stability underscores the persistent burden of non-communicable diseases in the country.
The data paints a clear picture of the primary health challenges facing the Philippines, pointing to a critical need for continued public health focus on cardiovascular health, cancer prevention and treatment, and stroke management.
