Colorectal Cancer (CRC): Epidemiology Report and Forecast to 2035

Colorectal Cancer (CRC): Epidemiology Report and Forecast to 2035

Summary

Colorectal cancer (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision [ICD-10] code = C18-C20), also referred to as bowel cancer, is the cancer of the colon, rectum, or rectosigmoid junction. It is a type of gastrointestinal malignancy that originates from either the colon or the rectum. Although both forms can be defined as colon or rectal cancers, depending on their origin, they are often merged because of their many biologically and clinically common features (American Cancer Society, 2024b, 2024c, 2025). In 2024, lung cancer was the most frequently diagnosed malignancy globally with 2.6 million new cases, followed closely by breast cancer (2.4 million cases) and colorectal cancer (2.0 million cases). Ranking as the third most prevalent cancer globally, colorectal cancer is also highly fatal, trailing only lung cancer with 918,000 recorded deaths that same year (World Health Organization, 2026).

The report also provides a 10-year epidemiological forecast of the five-year diagnosed prevalent cases of colorectal cancer. This epidemiology forecast for colorectal cancer is supported by data obtained from national and country-specific cancer registries and population-based studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The forecast methodology was kept consistent across the 8MM to allow for a meaningful comparison of the forecast diagnosed incident and diagnosed prevalent cases of colorectal cancer across these markets.

In the 8MM, the diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer are expected to increase from 914,439 cases in 2025 to 1,121,336 cases in 2035, at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 2.26%. In 2035, urban China will have the highest number of diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer in the 8MM, with 475,817 cases, whereas France will have the fewest diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer, with 56,309 cases.

In the 8MM, the five-year diagnosed prevalent cases of colorectal cancer are expected to increase from 2,984,220 cases in 2025 to 3,643,843 cases in 2035, at an AGR of 2.21%. The analyst epidemiologists attribute the increase in the five-year diagnosed prevalent cases and diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer to changes in the diagnosed incidence and survival rates, as well as population dynamics in each market.

Scope

• This report provides an overview of the risk factors, comorbidities, and global and historical trends for colorectal cancer in the eight major markets (8MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, and urban China). It includes a 10-year epidemiological forecast for diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer.
• The diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer are segmented by age (18-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80 years and older) in these markets. Diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer are further segmented by microsatellite stable (MSS)/proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/mismatch repair-deficient (dMRR).
• Diagnosed incident cases of MSS/pMMR and MSI-H/dMRR among colorectal cancer are segmented by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage at diagnosis (stage I, stage IIA, stage IIB, stage IIC, stage IIIA, stage IIIB, stage IIIC, stage IVA, stage IVB, and stage IVC).
• The diagnosed incident cases of colorectal cancer are further segmented by molecular markers: KRAS mutation, NRAS mutation, BRAF mutation, BRAF V600E mutation, PIK3CA/PTEN mutation, MSI-H/dMMR molecular subtype, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification, MET amplification, NTRK gene fusion, RET gene fusion, DPYD, high tumor mutational burden (TMB) (≥10 mutations/megabase), elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (>5ng/mL), UGT1A1 mutation, POLE mutation, TP53 mutation, APC mutation, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumors, left-sided tumors, and right-sided tumors, as well as recurrence of stages I-III into stage IV disease.
• The report also provides a 10-year epidemiological forecast of the five-year diagnosed prevalent cases of colorectal cancer. This epidemiology forecast for colorectal cancer is supported by data obtained from national and country-specific cancer registries and population-based studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The forecast methodology was kept consistent across the 8MM to allow for a meaningful comparison of the forecast diagnosed incident and diagnosed prevalent cases of colorectal cancer across these markets.