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Key Statistics for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

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The American Cancer Society's estimates for leukemia in the United States for 2023 are:

  • About 59,610 new cases of leukemia and about 23,710 deaths from leukemia (all kinds)
  • About 18,740 new cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
  • About 4,490 deaths from CLL

CLL accounts for about one-quarter of the new cases of leukemia. The average person's lifetime risk of getting CLL is about 1 in 175 (0.57%). The risk is slightly higher in men than in women.

CLL mainly affects older adults. The average age of people when they are diagnosed is around 70 years. It's rarely seen in people under age 40, and is extremely rare in children.

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

The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team

Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2023. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2023.  

Cancer Stat Facts: Leukemia-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, 2010-2014.  National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/clyl.html.  Accessed on January 5, 2018.

SEER Lifetime Risk (Percent) of Being Diagnosed with Cancer by Site and Race/Ethnicity: Both Sexes, 18 SEER Areas, 2012-2014 (Table 1.15) National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. Accessed at https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2014/results_merged/topic_lifetime_risk.pdf on January 5, 2018.

Last Revised: January 12, 2023