Between 2004 and 2016, the number of colorectal cancer cases in young adults aged 20–29 in Europe rose by nearly 8% each year, from less than 1 case per 100,000 people to more than 2 cases per 100,000, with colon cancer increasing faster than rectal cancer.

Between 2004 and 2016, the number of new colorectal cancer cases in adults aged 40 to 49 in Europe rose by 1.6% each year after a period of decline, suggesting a pattern that matches trends seen in younger generations.

Between 2005 and 2016, colorectal cancer became more common each year among people in their 30s in Europe, and these individuals were diagnosed at older ages than people in their 20s, suggesting that environmental or lifestyle factors affecting younger generations began influencing their health earlier in life.

In six regions of Germany, the number of people under age 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer rose each year between 1999 and 2018, with the fastest increase seen in young adults aged 20 to 29.

From 1999 to 2018, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer each year rose by 4.44% in men and 6.40% in women between the ages of 20 and 29 in Germany, with the fastest growth occurring in this younger group, even though colorectal cancer remains uncommon in people this age.

Between 1990 and 2016, the number of young adults in Europe diagnosed with colorectal cancer tripled, but the number of deaths from the disease did not rise, suggesting that earlier diagnosis or better treatments may have prevented more deaths.