Skin cancer is the most common group of cancers diagnosed worldwide, with more than 1.5 million new cases estimated in 2022 alone. In the United States, roughly 6.1 million adults are treated for skin cancer each year, making it far more prevalent than breast, lung, or colon cancer. So yes, skin cancer is extremely common, and its rates have been climbing steadily for the past three decades.
The Three Main Types
Most skin cancers fall into one of three categories, and they differ dramatically in how common they are and how dangerous they become.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the single most common type. It grows slowly, almost never spreads to other parts of the body, and is usually cured with a minor surgical procedure. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common. It’s more aggressive than BCC and can occasionally spread if left untreated, but it’s still highly treatable when caught early. Together, these two types account for the vast majority of all skin cancer cases. They’re so common, in fact, that most cancer registries don’t even track them the way they track other cancers.
Melanoma is the least common of the three but the most dangerous. An estimated 112,000 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2026, and about 8,510 people will die from it. Globally, roughly 330,000 melanoma cases were diagnosed in 2022, causing nearly 60,000 deaths. Melanoma develops in the cells that give skin its color, and it can spread quickly to lymph nodes, lungs, and other organs if not removed early.
Who Gets Skin Cancer Most Often
Skin cancer affects people of all backgrounds, but the risk is not distributed evenly. Fair-skinned populations bear the highest burden by a wide margin. In England, melanoma rates in White populations were 33 times higher than in Asian populations and 16 times higher than in Black populations. A U.S. study found a similar pattern: melanoma occurred at a rate of 21.9 per 100,000 in non-Hispanic White people, compared to 4.7 in Hispanic people and 1.0 in Black people.
That doesn’t mean darker-skinned individuals are immune. Certain subtypes of skin cancer are actually more common in people with darker skin. A type of melanoma that develops on the palms, soles of the feet, or under nails occurs at higher rates in Black populations. And a rare form of skin cancer linked to the immune system is 1.5 times more likely to occur in Black individuals than White individuals. Because skin cancer is less expected in people with darker skin, it’s often diagnosed at a later, more advanced stage.
Where Rates Are Highest
Australia and New Zealand have the highest skin cancer rates in the world, with an incidence of 37 cases per 100,000 people. That’s more than double the U.S. rate of 16.5 per 100,000. Canada (14.5), Italy (12.7), and Germany (12.1) round out the top five. The pattern is straightforward: countries with predominantly fair-skinned populations and high UV exposure see the most cases. Australia’s combination of a largely European-descended population living under intense sun near the equator makes it a global hotspot.
UV radiation is the primary environmental driver. It damages DNA in skin cells, triggers genetic mutations, and disables one of the body’s key mechanisms for killing off damaged cells before they turn cancerous.
Rates Are Still Climbing
Skin cancer has been increasing significantly over the past three decades. An analysis of global data from 1990 to 2021 found a sustained upward trend in both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The increase has been driven partly by population growth and aging, but also by accumulated sun exposure in older generations who grew up before widespread sunscreen use and public awareness campaigns. Adults aged 85 to 94 saw some of the steepest increases in melanoma rates during this period.
The financial toll reflects this trend. The total annual cost of skin cancer treatment in the U.S. rose from $8.0 billion (2012 to 2015) to $8.9 billion (2016 to 2018), an 11% increase. Non-melanoma treatment costs alone jumped nearly 30%, from $5.0 billion to $6.5 billion over the same period.
How Skin Cancer Is Caught Early
Because skin cancer is so common and so visible, early detection usually comes down to looking at your skin regularly and knowing what to watch for. New moles, existing moles that change shape or color, sores that won’t heal, or rough scaly patches that persist are all worth getting checked.
Screening recommendations vary by country and risk level. Germany offers routine skin cancer screening to all adults over 35 with health insurance every two years. In Australia, high-risk individuals (fair skin, light eyes, many moles, family history, or a weakened immune system) are encouraged to get a full-body skin exam with a dermatologist every six months. The American Cancer Society notes that about 10% of melanoma patients have a family history of the disease and recommends this group get regular dermatologist exams and perform monthly self-checks. In the Netherlands, people with five or more unusual moles or more than 100 ordinary moles are advised to get annual exams.
Your personal risk level determines how often you should be checked. If you have fair skin, a history of sunburns, many moles, or a family member who’s had melanoma, more frequent screening makes sense. For everyone else, paying attention to changes in your skin remains the most practical first step.
Survival Rates and Outlook
The good news is that most skin cancer is highly survivable. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which make up the overwhelming majority of cases, are almost always cured when removed. They rarely cause death.
Melanoma is more serious, but even here the outlook has improved. When melanoma is caught while still confined to the skin, the survival rate is very high. Once it spreads to nearby lymph nodes or distant organs, survival drops significantly. Of the 112,000 Americans expected to be diagnosed with melanoma in 2026, about 8,510 will die from it, a fatality rate under 8%. The key variable is timing. Melanoma that’s detected early and removed surgically is a different disease from melanoma that has already spread.