Global life expectancy is returning to near pre-pandemic levels, WHO says

According to the latest UN health agency Global Health Estimates, life expectancy reaches 73.3 years in 2023, only slightly compared to 73.4 years in 2019.

“Living longer is one of the great achievements of public health,” said Dr. Alain Labrique, Director WHODepartment of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI.

The estimates, which cover worldwide trends in death and disability by region and country from 2000 to 2023, draw on a variety of sources including national vital registration data and estimates from WHO technical programs together with UN partner organizations.

Healthy life expectancy – years in which people lived in good health – recovering more slowly, reaching 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below the 2019 figure.

“The next challenge is to ensure that these additional years are lived in good health, while the health system is equipped to respond to the changing needs of the population,” said Dr. Labrique.

A milestone for low-income countries

The estimates also show a long-term changes in causes of death.

In 2023, for the first time, infectious diseases – diseases that spread from one person or animal to another, or from surfaces to people – accounts for less than half of deaths in low-income countriesa further step in what WHO calls the “global epidemiological transition”.

Around the world, Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will cause 74 percent of deaths by 2023, up from 58 percent in 2000and eight of the 10 main causes of death in the world are NCDs.

Cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of death and disease burden. Ischemic heart disease alone causes an estimated 9.5 million deaths by 2023 and the loss of 210 million years of healthy life.

Many countries around the world have made great progress in reducing the burden since 2000, although individual risk has increased in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, highlighting gaps that remain.

Increasing burden of dementia

Other chronic conditions are becoming more prominent. Dementia increased from being ranked 19th cause of death globally in 2000 to fifth in 2023, with the death rate from this disease increasing threefold in that period.

Risk of death due to diabetes has also increased substantially since 2000, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Between 2019 and 2023, the global age standard figure will be The loss of “healthy living” increases by about 20 percent in depressive disorders and nearly 45 percent in anxiety disorders.

For drug use disordersThe Americas region recorded the largest increase in the risk of death and loss of healthy life between 2000 and 2023, while the Western Pacific region saw a significant decrease.

Diagnosis indicates healing

“The value of this estimate does not just lie in the numbers,” said Dr. Labrique. “By showing how the causes of death and burden of disease change over time and between populations, they provide evidence to countries to help shape health policies and priorities.”