Liver disease is a term used for many health problems that prevent the liver from working properly. The liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps digest food, store energy, and remove harmful substances from the blood. It also processes and delivers nutrients your body needs to work properly. When the liver is damaged, it cannot do these jobs well. There are many types of liver disease. Some are caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, B, and C. Others are linked to alcohol, drugs, or toxins and can lead to conditions like fatty liver disease or cirrhosis, which causes scarring of the liver. Liver disease can also be caused by cancer or inherited conditions.
- In 2018, Black/African American adults were diagnosed with liver disease 35% less often than adults overall in the U.S.
- In 2022, Black/African Americans were 36% less likely than the U.S. population overall to die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
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Occurrence
| Adults aged 18 and over who have been told by a doctor that they have any kind of liver disease, age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black/African American* | Total Population | Ratio (Black/African American* / Total) |
| 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.65 |
Mortality
| Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black* | Total Population | Ratio (Black* / Total) | |
| Male | 11.9 | 18.0 | 0.66 |
| Female | 6.5 | 10.0 | 0.65 |
| Both Sexes | 8.9 | 13.8 | 0.64 |
*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.
Date Last Reviewed: January 2026