OBJECTIVES: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a pathological condition inclusive of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). A systematic review was conducted to summarize the global epidemiological burden and mortality of primary/recurrent VTE events across patient populations. METHODS: Eligible studies (both full publications and abstracts) were identified from an exhaustive, systematic database review. Outcomes of interest included incidence/prevalence of primary/recurrent VTE, mortality and associated risk factors. RESULTS: The estimated annual incidence rate of DVT and PE in the US, Europe and Asia was reported at 0.21-1.48 per 1,000 person-years, with a prevalence of 0.2-0.66%. In the US, prevalence is estimated to increase from the current estimate of 0.42% to 0.57% by 2050, driven by population growth and increased detection. Although there was a paucity of Asian data, published results suggest a lower prevalence compared with Western countries. Risk factors for VTE include increased age, male sex, ethnicity, surgery, cancer, initial event type and pharmacology. VTE recurrence is dependent on both the initial event type and/or the presence of VTE risk factors. The risk of recurrence peaks 6 to 12 months following the primary event, with 5-year cumulative recurrence estimated at ~28%. VTE-related mortality in the US and Europe was reported to occur in up to 370,000 patients annually and is estimated to account for 10% of all in-hospital deaths. The level of PE-related mortality was up to 60%, was dependent on underlying risk factors, and was markedly higher compared with DVT-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: VTE is particularly prevalent in the elderly, active cancer and surgical populations with major additional risk factors including sex and ethnicity. VTE carries significant levels of mortality with the highest levels reported in care based versus community setting. Increased population growth and aging population demographic coupled with improved detection will result in an increasing healthcare burden.