Who dies of cervical cancer?
In the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, 0.27% of women eventually die of cervical cancer. It is never the most likely cause of death for any one country, sex and age group — but it adds up over a lifetime.
The risk by age
Chance of dying of cervical cancer within 10 years, and its share of all the risk at that age — the median of 36 countries. Your own country's numbers are one click away on its page.
| Age | women |
|---|---|
| 15–19 | <0.01% (0.12% of the risk) |
| 20–24 | <0.01% (1.5% of the risk) |
| 25–29 | <0.01% (2.9% of the risk) |
| 30–34 | 0.02% (3.2% of the risk) |
| 35–39 | 0.02% (2.9% of the risk) |
| 40–44 | 0.03% (2.4% of the risk) |
| 45–49 | 0.04% (1.9% of the risk) |
| 50–54 | 0.04% (1.4% of the risk) |
| 55–59 | 0.05% (0.99% of the risk) |
| 60–64 | 0.06% (0.76% of the risk) |
| 65–69 | 0.06% (0.46% of the risk) |
| 70–74 | 0.07% (0.32% of the risk) |
| 75–79 | 0.08% (0.21% of the risk) |
| 80–84 | 0.07% (0.12% of the risk) |
| 85–89 | 0.06% (0.07% of the risk) |
| 90–94 | 0.04% (0.05% of the risk) |
Lifetime chance, women: highest and lowest countries
What changes the odds
HPV vaccination and regular cervical screening prevent most cervical cancers — screening finds changes years before they turn into cancer.
See your own numbersScreening for cervical cancer, by country
Programmes start at 15 in Czechia, at 18 in Austria, at 20 in Germany and Slovenia, at 21 in Belarus, Greece and the United States, at 23 in Denmark, Iceland, Slovakia and Sweden, at 25 in 17 countries, and at 30 in the other 6. Below, each national programme's ages and intervals — the same ones Odainn uses for members' check-ups.
| Country | Who and how often |
|---|---|
| Czechia | A smear every year from 15 at your gynaecologist, with an HPV test at 35, 45 and 55Czech cervical screening programme (yearly cytology from 15; HPV test at 35, 45 and 55) |
| Austria | A Pap smear every year from 18, at your gynaecologistGesundheitsportal and ÖGK Vorsorgeuntersuchung: yearly Pap smear from 18 |
| Germany | Every year, ages 20–34 (smear)Every 3 years from 35 (smear and HPV test together)G-BA cervical cancer screening (yearly smear at 20–34); G-BA cervical cancer screening (co-test every 3 years from 35) |
| Slovenia | Every 3 years, ages 20–64 (programme ZORA)Program ZORA (smear every 3 years at 20–64) |
| Belarus | Pap test every 3 years, ages 21–29 — in the free dispensary check (диспансеризация) at your polyclinicHPV test every 6 years at 30–39, every 5 years at 40–60 — in the free dispensary check (диспансеризация) at your polyclinicBelarus Ministry of Health Resolution No. 173 (2024), dispensary check of adults |
| Greece | Pap test, ages 21–29 — free in the national programme ΠρολαμβάνωHPV test, ages 30–65 — free in the national programme ΠρολαμβάνωGreek Ministry of Health (October 2024): Pap test at 21–29, HPV test at 30–65 |
| United States | Every 3 years, ages 21–29Every 5 years, ages 30–65 (HPV test)USPSTF: Cervical cancer — screening (2018, grade A) |
| Denmark | Every 3–5 years, ages 23–64Danish cervical screening (23–64) |
| Iceland | Every 3 years, ages 23–29 — you're invitedHPV test every 5 years at 30–59, a last one at 60–64 — you're invitedIceland's cervical screening (island.is): HPV tests for women 23–64 |
| Slovakia | Two smears a year apart, then every 3 years, ages 23–64Slovak cervical screening (23–64, National Oncology Institute) |
| Sweden | Every 5 years at 23–49, every 7 years at 50–70Swedish cervical screening (23–70) |
| Belgium | Every 3 years, ages 25–29 (smear)Every 5 years, ages 30–64 (HPV test)INAMI/RIZIV: cytology every 3 years at 25–29; INAMI/RIZIV: HPV test every 5 years at 30–64 (since 2025) |
| Canada | Every 3 years, ages 25–69 (HPV test every 5 years where your province offers it)CTFPHC: Cervical cancer screening (2013); provincial HPV-based programmes |
| France | Smear at 25 and 26, then every 3 years to 29Every 5 years, ages 30–65 (HPV test)Dépistage organisé du cancer du col de l’utérus (cytology at 25–29); Dépistage organisé du cancer du col de l’utérus (HPV test from 30) |
| Hungary | Every 3 years, ages 25–65 (smear)NNGYK cervical screening (smear every 3 years at 25–65) |
| Ireland | Every 3 years, ages 25–29Every 5 years, ages 30–65 (HPV test)HSE CervicalCheck (every 3 years at 25–29); HSE CervicalCheck (every 5 years at 30–65) |
| Italy | Every 3 years, ages 25–29 (Pap test)Every 5 years, ages 30–64 (HPV test)LEA: Pap test every 3 years at 25–29; LEA: cervical screening (HPV test every 5 years at 30–64) |
| Latvia | Every 3 years, ages 25–29 (smear)Every 5 years, ages 30–70 (HPV test)NVD cervical screening (smear every 3 years at 25–29); NVD cervical screening (HPV test every 5 years at 30–70, since July 2025) |
| Lithuania | Every 3 years, ages 25–34 (smear)Every 5 years, ages 35–59 (HPV test)Lithuanian cervical screening programme (smear every 3 years at 25–34); Lithuanian cervical screening programme (HPV test every 5 years at 35–59) |
| Luxembourg | A smear every 3 years, ages 25–69Luxembourg Ministry of Health: smear every 3 years at 25–69 |
| Malta | Every 3 years from 25, every 5 years from 50 — free for women born from 1980; if you were born earlier, ask your doctorMalta National Screening Centre: cervical screening from 25 (women born from 1980) |
| Moldova | Pap test every 3 years, ages 25–61 — free through your family doctor, insured or notMoldovan Ministry of Health: national cervical screening, women 25–61, every 3 years |
| Norway | Every 5 years, ages 25–69 (HPV test)Livmorhalsprogrammet (25–69, HPV from 2023) |
| Poland | Every 3 years (cytology) or 5 years after a negative HPV test, ages 25–64NFZ cervical cancer screening programme (HPV HR test added July 2025) |
| Romania | Pap smear, ages 25–64 — free in the national screening programme; ask your family doctorRomania's national cervical screening subprogramme (Ministry of Health Order No. 964/2022): women 25–64 |
| Serbia | Pap test every 3 years (after two yearly tests), ages 25–64 — free in the national screening programmeSerbia's organised cervical screening (Batut Institute): Pap test, women 25–64 |
| Spain | Every 3 years, ages 25–34 (smear)Every 5 years, ages 35–65 (HPV test)SNS common portfolio: cytology every 3 years at 25–34; SNS common portfolio: cervical screening (HPV every 5 years from 35) |
| United Kingdom | Every 5 years, ages 25–64 (HPV test)NHS Cervical Screening Programme (5-yearly after a negative HPV test; England since July 2025) |
| Bulgaria | Smear at 30–40: yearly, then every 3 years after two normal results — in your free yearly preventive check-up (NZOK)Bulgarian Ordinance No. 8 (2016) on preventive examinations, as amended to 2026 |
| Estonia | Every 5 years, ages 30–65 (HPV test — at a clinic or with a home kit)Tervisekassa cervical screening (HPV test every 5 years at 30–65) |
| Finland | Every 5 years, ages 30–65Finnish cervical screening (30–65) |
| Netherlands | HPV test at 30, 35 and 40 — then at 50 and 60 if negativeRIVM bevolkingsonderzoek baarmoederhalskanker (30–60) |
| Portugal | Every 5 years, ages 30–69 (HPV test; you can take the sample yourself)DGS standard 09/2024: HPV test every 5 years at 30–69 |
| Türkiye | HPV test every 5 years, ages 30–65 — free at your family health centre or a KETEMTurkish Ministry of Health national cancer screening programmes: cervical 30–65 |
For the other 3 countries we cover, Odainn follows the EU's 2022 recommendation and European guidelines: every 5 years, ages 30–65 (from 25 in some countries).
Members see which checks are due for themselves and their family, following each person's own country — sources and dates.
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Related: Lung cancer · Colorectal cancer · Breast cancer · Prostate cancer · Pancreatic cancer · Oesophageal cancer · Stomach cancer · Liver cancer · Uterine & ovarian cancer · Leukaemia & lymphoma · Brain cancer · Melanoma (skin cancer) · Kidney cancer · Bladder cancer · Mouth, throat & larynx cancer · Other cancers
Questions
- At what age is cervical cancer most likely to be the cause of death?
- For women, cervical cancer takes its largest share of deaths at 30–34: 3.2% of the risk of dying in the next 10 years, in the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age.
- Which country has the highest risk of dying of cervical cancer?
- Of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, Moldova has the highest lifetime chance of dying of cervical cancer for women (0.91%), and Switzerland the lowest (0.13%).
- At what age does screening for cervical cancer start?
- Programmes start at 15 in Czechia, at 18 in Austria, at 20 in Germany and Slovenia, at 21 in Belarus, Greece and the United States, at 23 in Denmark, Iceland, Slovakia and Sweden, at 25 in 17 countries, and at 30 in the other 6. For the other 3 countries we cover, Odainn follows the EU's 2022 recommendation and European guidelines: every 5 years, ages 30–65 (from 25 in some countries).
Computed by Odainn from official mortality statistics (Eurostat; ONS, NRS and NISRA; CDC; Statistics Canada) for 36 countries, latest years — how we calculate. Belarus is left out: deaths by cause and age aren't published together there, so the split by cause is our estimate. Population statistics, not a prediction for any individual. Educational, not medical advice.