Key Statistics for Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers

The rate of new cases of laryngeal cancer is falling by about 2% to 3% a year, most likely because fewer people are smoking. Hypopharyngeal cancer is very rare. In the United States, fewer than 4,000 cases are estimated for 2026. 

Laryngeal cancer estimates for 2026

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for laryngeal cancer in the United States for 2026 are:

• About 12,290 new cases of laryngeal cancer (9,730 in men and 2,560 in women)
• About 3,960 people (3,180 men and 780 women) will die from laryngeal cancer

Where in the larynx do these cancers most often start?

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

What is the average age of people who get this cancer?

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.

How common is laryngeal cancer?

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.

Overall, the lifetime risk of developing laryngeal cancer is about:

• 1 in 200 for men
• 1 in 840 for women

 A number of other factors can also affect a person’s risk for developing laryngeal cancer.

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 has also dropped about 2% to 3% each year.

Hypopharyngeal cancer estimates for 2026

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

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.