Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to page options Skip directly to site content
Cancer Home

Breast Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity

The rate of women getting breast cancer or dying from breast cancer varies by race and ethnicity.

Incidence Rates by Race/Ethnicity

“Incidence rate” means how many women out of a given number get the disease each year. The graph below shows how many women out of 100,000 got breast cancer each year during the years 1999–2014. The year 2014 is the most recent year for which numbers have been reported. The breast cancer incidence rate is grouped by race and ethnicity.

The graph below shows that in 2014, white women had the highest rate of getting breast cancer, followed by black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI), and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women.

Line chart showing the changes in breast cancer incidence rates for females of various races and ethnicities.

Graph Data

Female Breast Cancer
Incidence Rates* by Race and Ethnicity,† United States, 1999–2014¶§
Year All Races White Black Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Hispanic
1999 134.8 137.8 117.4 86.4 77.1 99.5
2000 132.6 135.7 115.1 83.7 71.5 99.7
2001 131.8 135.1 114.1 85.2 74.0 96.2
2002 129.1 131.5 116.9 86.6 72.8 96.2
2003 122.7 124.6 115.0 81.7 72.6 92.1
2004 121.5 123.3 115.2 83.3 69.0 91.0
2005 121.3 123.1 114.8 83.5 68.2 94.7
2006 122.1 123.9 117.1 82.6 69.5 93.0
2007 123.5 124.9 120.6 85.1 73.6 93.0
2008 124.8 126.2 121.5 88.3 69.5 94.6
2009 125.8 127.4 123.9 85.9 66.5 94.7
2010 121.7 122.7 121.0 89.2 68.0 89.8
2011 124.1 125.1 123.9 90.0 75.0 93.8
2012 123.7 124.9 122.1 90.6 70.2 92.4
2013 124.9 125.8 124.4 92.1 73.9 94.3
2014 124.3 125.2 122.7 89.9 72.4 92.1

Sources: CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries and National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program.

*Rates are the number of cases per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups – Census P25–1130). For more information, see the USCS technical notes.

†Race categories are not mutually exclusive from Hispanic origin. Rates are not presented for persons of unknown or other race. Data for specified racial or ethnic populations other than white and black should be interpreted with caution. For more information, see the USCS technical notes.

Data are compiled from cancer registries that meet the data quality criteria for all invasive cancer sites combined for all years, 1999–2014 (covering approximately 97% of the U.S. population). See registry-specific data quality information for all years, 1999–2014. Use caution when comparing incidence and death rates because of potential differences in population coverage.

§Invasive cancer excludes basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin except when these occur on the skin of the genital organs, and in situ cancers except urinary bladder.

Behavior recode for analysis used for 1999–2014 individual years.

Death Rates by Race/Ethnicity

From 1999–2014, the rate of women dying from breast cancer has varied, depending on their race and ethnicity. The graph below shows that in 2014, black women were more likely to die of breast cancer than any other group, followed by white, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

Line chart showing the changes in breast cancer death rates for females of various races and ethnicities.

Graph Data

Female Breast Cancer
Death Rates* by Race and Ethnicity,† United States, 1999–2014§
Year All Races White Black Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Hispanic
1999 31.6 28.9 70.1 14.1 17.5 23.4
2000 30.4 27.8 68.9 12.6 20.3 21.8
2001 29.5 27.0 67.8 11.9 20.7 24.1
2002 28.7 26.4 65.0 10.7 17.4 23.2
2003 27.2 25.0 60.4 11.6 20.9 21.9
2004 26.2 24.0 59.0 12.2 19.0 21.1
2005 25.4 23.3 57.0 11.2 21.2 20.9
2006 24.2 22.3 53.7 10.4 17.2 20.6
2007 24.2 22.2 54.9 11.2 17.2 20.0
2008 23.0 21.3 49.1 9.9 20.0 19.1
2009 22.1 20.3 49.4 9.8 15.3 18.1
2010 21.8 20.1 48.1 9.5 15.2 18.3
2011 20.8 19.3 44.0 9.5 16.7 17.3
2012 19.6 18.1 41.6 8.4 14.0 16.4
2013 19.3 18.0 39.1 8.6 14.2 15.8
2014 19.1 17.9 38.0 8.4 14.8 15.4

*Rates are the number of deaths per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups – Census P25–1130). For more information, see the USCS technical notes.

†Race categories are not mutually exclusive from Hispanic origin. Rates are not presented for persons of unknown or other race. Data for specified racial or ethnic populations other than white and black should be interpreted with caution. For more information, see the USCS technical notes.

§Data are from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Data for death rates cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution when comparing incidence and death rates because of potential differences in population coverage.

Stay Informed

Rates by Race and Ethnicity for Other Kinds of Cancer

Language:
TOP