Over 39 million deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections predicted from now to 2050

First in-depth analysis of global health impacts of antimicrobial resistance ( AMR ) over time reveals trends from 1990 to 2021 and estimates potential impacts to 2050 for 204 countries and territories.

More than one million people died from AMR globally each year between 1990 and 2021 .

Future forecasts indicate AMR deaths will rise steadily in the coming decades , increasing by almost 70% by 2050 .

AMR deaths in 2021 were lower than in 2019 due to reductions in the burden of non-COVID lower respiratory infections, likely caused by social distancing and other disease control measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the proportion of infectious deaths caused directly by AMR increased by a relative 13.6% to a total of 7.2% in 2021 among children under five years between 1990 and 2021 .

By 2050 , resistant infections could be involved in some 8 million deaths each year , either as the direct cause of death or as a contributing factor.

The authors acknowledge some limitations to their study.

Lack of data for some LMICs highlights a need for improved data collection.