Key Statistics for Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers

How common is laryngeal cancer?

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for laryngeal cancer in the United States for 2024 are:

• About 12,650 new cases of laryngeal cancer (10,030 in men and 2,620 in women)
• About 3,880 people (3,120 men and 760 women) will die from laryngeal cancer

About 60% of laryngeal cancers start in the glottis (the area containing the vocal cords), while about 35% develop in the supraglottic area (above the vocal cords). The rest develop in either the subglottis (below the vocal cords) or overlap more than one area so that it is hard to tell where they started.

Most people diagnosed with laryngeal cancer are 55 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 55. The average age of people diagnosed with laryngeal cancer is about 66.

Black men are more likely to develop laryngeal cancer than White men and are more likely to die from it. It is also much more common in men than women.

The rate of new cases of laryngeal cancer is falling by about 2% to 3% a year, most likely because fewer people are smoking.  Over the past 10 years, the death rate is also dropping about 2% to 3% each year. 

Lifetime chance of getting laryngeal cancer

Overall, the lifetime risk of developing laryngeal cancer is about 1 in 200 for men and 1 in 840 for women. A number of other factors (see Risk Factors for Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer) can also affect your risk for developing laryngeal cancer.

How common is hypopharyngeal cancer?

Cancers of the hypopharynx are very rare. In the United States, only about 2,000 to 4,000 cancers will start in the hypopharynx.

Survival statistics for these cancers are discussed in Survival rates for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers, by stage.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.