This article is a list of major pandemics and epidemics caused by infectious diseases in human history. Events in boldface are ongoing.
Rank | Epidemics/pandemics | Date | First outbreak | Location | Death toll |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Black Death |
1346–1353 | Xi'an, China | Europe, Asia and North Africa | 75–200 million |
2 | Spanish flu |
1918–1920 | Manhattan, Kansas, USA | Worldwide | 17–100 million |
3 | Plague of Justinian |
541–542 | Pelusium, Egypt | Europe and West Asia | 15–100 million |
4 | HIV/AIDS pandemic | 1981–present | East Africa | Worldwide | 43 million+ (2024) |
5 | Third plague pandemic |
1855–1960 | Yunnan, China | Worldwide | 12–15 million |
6 | Cocoliztli Epidemic of 1545–1548 |
1545–1548 | Mexico | North America | 5–15 million |
7 | Antonine Plague |
165–180 | Seleucia, Iraq | Roman Empire | 5–10 million |
8 | 1520 Mexico smallpox epidemic |
1519–1520 | Mexico | North America | 5–8 million |
9 | COVID-19 pandemic |
2019–present | Wuhan, China | Worldwide | 7-35 million (as of 2024) |
10 | Asian flu |
1957–1958 | Guizhou, China | Worldwide | 1–4 million |
Hong Kong flu | 1968–1969 | Hong Kong | Worldwide | ||
11 | 1918–1922 Russia typhus epidemic | 1918–1922 | Russia | Siberia | 2–3 million |
14 | 735–737 Japanese smallpox epidemic | 735–737 | Dazaifu, Fukuoka | Japan | 2 million |
1772–1773 Persian Plague | 1772–1773 | Baghdad, Iraq | Persia | 2 million | |
16 | Naples Plague |
1656–1658 | Naples, Italy | Europe | 1.25 million |
17 | Third cholera pandemic |
1846–1860 | Mecca, Saudi Arabia | Worldwide | 1 million+ |
18 | 1629–1631 Italian plague |
1629–1631 | Milan, Italy | Europe | 1 million |
1889–1890 flu pandemic |
1889–1890 | Bukhara, Russia | Worldwide | 1 million |