Global life expectancy rebounds while healthy-life years lag behind pre-pandemic levels
The World Health Organization reports that worldwide life expectancy has nearly returned to its pre-COVID level, but the number of years lived in good health remains slightly below the 2019 figure.
New WHO data indicate that the world’s average life expectancy has climbed back to a level comparable with the period before COVID-19, marking a reversal of the dip observed during the pandemic years. However, the metric for years lived in good health has not kept pace, remaining modestly lower than its 2019 value. The report highlights a growing dominance of non-communicable diseases—such as cardiovascular conditions, respiratory illnesses, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease—which now cause the bulk of global deaths, up from a much smaller share two decades ago.
In 2023, these chronic illnesses were responsible for three-quarters of all fatalities worldwide. Regionally, the Americas recorded the steepest rise in mortality risk and loss of healthy years, whereas the Western Pacific region experienced a significant reduction. WHO officials stress the need to ensure that added longevity translates into healthier lives and to adapt health systems accordingly.
Why it matters
Longer lives are only beneficial if they are healthy, and rising chronic disease deaths pose a global health challenge.
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