Lymphoma is one of the more common cancers in the United States. Combining both major types, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin, roughly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for the large majority of those, with an overall incidence rate of 18.7 per 100,000 people per year. To put that in perspective, about 1 in 50 Americans will develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma at some point in their lifetime.
Non-Hodgkin vs. Hodgkin Lymphoma
These two categories differ significantly in how common they are. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is roughly nine times more frequent than Hodgkin lymphoma, with an estimated 80,000 or more new cases annually. Hodgkin lymphoma is projected at about 8,920 new cases in 2026. The two also tend to strike at different ages: Hodgkin lymphoma has a median age at diagnosis of 38, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma is most often diagnosed in people over 60.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma itself is not one disease. It includes dozens of subtypes. The most common is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which makes up about 31% of adult cases. The second most common is follicular lymphoma, accounting for roughly 22%. DLBCL tends to grow quickly and requires prompt treatment, while follicular lymphoma is slower growing and sometimes monitored before treatment begins.
Who Gets Lymphoma Most Often
Men are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at notably higher rates than women. The incidence rate for men is 22.4 per 100,000 compared to 15.6 per 100,000 for women, meaning men are about 40% more likely to develop it. This gap holds across racial and ethnic groups.
Race and ethnicity also play a role. Non-Hispanic white men have the highest rate at 24.2 per 100,000, while non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander men have the lowest at 16.7 per 100,000. Among women, the pattern is similar: non-Hispanic white women are diagnosed at a rate of 16.5 per 100,000, while non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women have the lowest rate at 11.7 per 100,000. Hispanic populations fall in the middle for both sexes.
The reasons behind these differences aren’t fully understood. Some of the variation likely reflects differences in genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and rates of certain infections that increase lymphoma risk. Access to diagnostic care can also influence how often lymphoma is detected in a given population.
Lymphoma in Children and Teens
Lymphoma is less common in young people than in adults, but it still ranks as the third most common childhood cancer. About 15% of all cancers diagnosed in children and teens are lymphomas. Each year in the United States, roughly 1,100 children and teens are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and another 800 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Interestingly, the balance between the two types is different in young people than in adults. In children and teens, Hodgkin lymphoma is actually more common than non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is the opposite of the pattern seen in older adults. The subtypes that occur in children also tend to differ from those most common in adults, and childhood lymphomas generally respond well to treatment.
How Lymphoma Compares to Other Cancers
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma consistently ranks among the ten most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. It is more common than cancers of the kidney, pancreas, or liver, though less common than breast, lung, prostate, or colorectal cancers. When you add Hodgkin lymphoma to the total, lymphoma as a category represents roughly 5% of all new cancer diagnoses each year.
That said, lymphoma is not a single experience. Some forms are aggressive and require intensive treatment right away. Others are so slow growing that some patients are initially placed on a “watch and wait” approach, with treatment starting only if the disease progresses or causes symptoms. The specific subtype matters enormously for both prognosis and treatment decisions, so the broad incidence numbers only tell part of the story. A diagnosis of lymphoma can mean very different things depending on which of the many subtypes is involved.
Risk Factors That Increase Your Chances
Most people who develop lymphoma have no single identifiable cause, but several factors raise the risk. A weakened immune system is one of the strongest. This includes people who take immune-suppressing medications after an organ transplant, those living with HIV, and people with certain autoimmune conditions.
Certain infections also increase risk. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono, is linked to some types of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A stomach bacterium called H. pylori is associated with a specific lymphoma of the stomach lining. Hepatitis C has also been connected to higher lymphoma rates.
Age is the simplest predictor for non-Hodgkin lymphoma: risk rises steadily as you get older, with most cases occurring after age 60. For Hodgkin lymphoma, the age pattern is different, with peaks in young adulthood (ages 20 to 34) and again after age 55. Family history plays a modest role. Having a first-degree relative with lymphoma roughly doubles your risk, though the absolute risk remains relatively low even with a family connection.