Venous thromboembolism, in its two main clinical manifestations of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, causes a substantial disease burden. Over the last decades, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis has remained stable, while the incidence of pulmonary embolism has been progressively increasing. The risk of venous thromboembolism increases with age, after surgery, in patients with cancer, and during pregnancy or lactation. Pulmonary embolism can be fatal. Both its case fatality and its mortality rate have been declining over the last 20 years. However, mortality from pulmonary embolism disproportionately affects women aged 15–50 years and minority ethnicities.