Lymphoma is one of the more common cancers. In the United States alone, over 80,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are projected for 2024, making it the seventh most common cancer and about 4% of all new cancer diagnoses. When you add Hodgkin lymphoma on top of that, the combined number is even higher. To put it in perspective, roughly 19 out of every 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma each year.
Non-Hodgkin vs. Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphoma comes in two major forms, and one is far more common than the other. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for about 90% of all lymphoma cases, while Hodgkin lymphoma makes up the remaining 10%. The incidence rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is roughly 0.26 per 100,000 people, compared to 18.7 per 100,000 for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. So when people talk about lymphoma being common, they’re mostly talking about the non-Hodgkin type.
Within non-Hodgkin lymphoma, there are dozens of subtypes. The most common by far is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive form that accounts for roughly a third of all non-Hodgkin cases globally. Depending on the country, it represents anywhere from 20% to 54% of diagnoses. It tends to grow quickly but also responds to treatment more readily than some slower-growing subtypes.
Who Gets Lymphoma
Men are diagnosed with lymphoma more often than women. For Hodgkin lymphoma, the incidence rate is about 3.8 per 100,000 in men compared to 2.9 per 100,000 in women. The pattern holds across most age groups and subtypes, with one notable exception: women in their 20s have slightly higher rates of Hodgkin lymphoma than men of the same age.
The two types also strike at different ages. Hodgkin lymphoma follows a distinctive two-peak pattern, hitting most often in young adults (particularly those in their 20s) and then again in people over 55. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, by contrast, becomes steadily more common with age. White individuals are diagnosed with both types more frequently than Black individuals, though researchers continue to study why these differences exist.
Lymphoma in Children
Lymphoma is relatively uncommon in young children but not rare. About 800 children and teens are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the U.S. each year, making it roughly 7% of all childhood cancers. Boys are two to three times more likely to develop it than girls, and cases are uncommon in children under five. The risk increases with age throughout childhood and adolescence.
How Rates Have Changed Over Time
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma rates have been relatively stable in recent years. In 2020, there were approximately 77,200 new cases, accounting for 4.3% of all cancer diagnoses. By 2024, that number is expected to exceed 80,000, though the percentage of total cancers has dipped slightly to 4.1%, largely because other cancers have risen in parallel. For Hodgkin lymphoma, incidence has gradually declined over the past two decades, dropping by about 0.4% to 0.6% per year for both men and women between 2000 and 2019.
Survival Rates by Stage
Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most treatable cancers. At stage 1, the five-year survival rate is 92%. Even at stage 4, when the disease has spread widely, about 82% of people survive at least five years. These numbers reflect how well modern treatments work against this particular cancer.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has a wider range of outcomes because it includes so many different subtypes, some slow-growing and some aggressive. Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma has an 87% five-year survival rate. At stage 4, that drops to about 63%. These are population-level averages, and individual outcomes depend heavily on the specific subtype, a person’s age, and overall health. It’s also worth noting that survival statistics always reflect patients treated at least five years ago, so they may undercount the benefit of newer therapies.
Putting the Numbers in Context
Lymphoma is common enough that most people will know someone who has had it, but it still represents a small fraction of all cancers. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma ranks seventh among cancers in the U.S., well behind breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Hodgkin lymphoma is considerably rarer. Together, the lymphomas are a significant piece of the cancer landscape, but the generally favorable survival rates, especially for Hodgkin lymphoma, set them apart from many other diagnoses.