--- title: Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050, Study Says description: The estimates come from a landmark new study published in the Lancet, the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends. canonical: https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/ author: Anna Gordon article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-09-17T12:27:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T18:18:10.207Z article:section: Health og:title: Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050 Says Study og:description: The estimates come from a landmark new study published in the Lancet, the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends. og:url: https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38b7363a04628878/698a5af3b3fce3d96a0cd9be/superbug.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2191 og:image:height: 1232 og:image:alt: Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, illustration og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050 Says Study twitter:description: The estimates come from a landmark new study published in the Lancet, the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38b7363a04628878/698a5af3b3fce3d96a0cd9be/superbug.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050, Study Warns > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=8d4bdbcf-3b26-4762-9c87-4bc96d5e584b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=8d4bdbcf-3b26-4762-9c87-4bc96d5e584b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=8d4bdbcf-3b26-4762-9c87-4bc96d5e584b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Anna Gordon](https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Sep 17, 2024 12:27 PM UTC  Antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, 3d illustration. Antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, 3d illustration. Science Photo–Getty Images by [Anna Gordon](https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Sep 17, 2024 12:27 PM UTC A landmark new [study](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2824%2901867-1/fulltext) published in the Lancet [estimates](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/sep/16/health-superbugs-antimicrobial-resistance-amr-39m-deaths-infections-bacteria-gram-study) that antimicrobial resistant pathogens, or [AMR](https://time.com/5035160/antibiotics-colitis/), will kill more than 39 million people by 2050\. The study also predicts that [169 million deaths](https://www.politico.eu/article/amr-death-superbugs-40-million-2050-study-antibiotic/) will be associated with drug-resistant infections by that year. “These findings highlight that AMR has been a significant global health threat for decades and that this threat is growing,” said Mohsen Naghavi, a professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the study’s author. **Read More:** [_25% of Antibiotic Prescriptions Are Unnecessary. Here’s Why That’s So Dangerous_](https://time.com/5504760/antibiotic-prescriptions-overuse/) AMR is becoming an especially large problem for the elderly. Adults above the age of 70 have experienced an over 80% increase in deaths attributed to AMR from 1990 to 2021, while deaths among children have decreased by more than 50%. All populations over the age of 25 experienced an increase in deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance, the study found. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project carried out the study, which saw over 500 researchers collect and analyze data from 204 counties over a 30 year period, in what is the first global analysis of AMR trends. Based on that data, the researchers forecast that South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean will have the highest AMR mortality rates by 2050\. AMR occurs when microorganisms that cause disease such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi no longer respond to medicines used to treat them. Overuse and misuse of antimicrobials are the main drivers of AMR, [according to](https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance) the World Health Organization. But millions of deaths could be averted via better prevention of infections, improved healthcare access, and new antibiotics, the GRAM study found. The study’s results come ahead of a U.N. high-level meeting on AMR, which will convene in New York City on Sept. 24\. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/"},"headline":"Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050, Study Warns","datePublished":"2024-09-17T12:27:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T18:18:10.207Z","description":"The estimates come from a landmark new study published in the Lancet, the first global analysis of antimicrobial resistance trends.","url":"https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/","keywords":["Disease","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38b7363a04628878/698a5af3b3fce3d96a0cd9be/superbug.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Anna Gordon","jobTitle":"Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau.","url":"https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38b7363a04628878/698a5af3b3fce3d96a0cd9be/superbug.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, illustration","caption":"Superbug","creditText":"Science Photo–Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/disease/","name":"Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7021922/superbugs-amr-lancet-study/","name":"Superbugs Could Kill 39 Million People by 2050, Study Warns"}}]}] ```