Objective To investigate the trends of mortality and major causes of death among residents with household registration in Guangdong, China, from 2016 to 2020, and to provide a basis for disease control and prevention.

Methods Based on the population and death data of national death cause monitoring points in Guangdong with registered mortality rates of no less than 5‰ in each year from 2016 to 2020, the standardized mortality rate and annual percentage change(APC) for all deaths, three major categories of diseases and main diseases among residents were analyzed by gender, urban and rural areas.

Results The standardized mortality rates of household registered residents in Guangdong from 2016 to 2020 were 461.78/100 000, 457.04/100 000, 438.33/100 000, 429.15/100 000, and 411.89/100 000, respectively, showing a downward trend. The deaths of chronic diseases accounted for 84.94%~86.38% of all deaths, and their standardized mortality rates were higher in males than those in females, and higher in rural areas than those in urban areas. The five leading causes of death were malignant tumors, heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and injuries. From 2016 to 2020, although the standardized mortality rates of malignant tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases showed a downward trend, but they accounted for 66.15%~68.07% of all deaths. The standardized mortality rates of endocrine/nutritional and metabolic diseases showed upward trends. Lung cancer was the primary cause of death from malignant tumors, but its standardized mortality rate showed a downward trend; the standardized mortality rate of nasopharyngeal cancer was much higher than that of the national level. Coronary heart disease and stroke were the major causes of deaths from heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases, respectively, and the standardized mortality rates of coronary heart disease and cerebral hemorrhage showed downward trends. Chronic lower respiratory disease accounted for 52.77%~64.65% of the deaths from respiratory diseases.

Conclusion Positive result have been achieved in preventing and controlling chronic non-communicable diseases in Guangdong from 2016 to 2020, but the current status remains challenging, with males and rural residents being the focus of prevention and control. Malignant tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the major diseases affecting the health of Guangdong residents. The mortality of endocrine/nutritional and metabolic diseases has increased, and the mortality of nasopharyngeal cancer is higher than the national average, which should be given special attention.