Home / Health / Global Health Gap Widens: More Years, Less Health
Global Health Gap Widens: More Years, Less Health
23 Jul
Summary
- Global morbidity gap increased by nearly two years between 1990 and 2023.
- People spend more adult years living with disease and disability.
- Low back pain and mental health issues drive this global health gap.
The difference between total life expectancy and years lived in good health has widened globally, with individuals now spending an average of 10.7 years in poor health. This represents a nearly two-year increase from 1990, when the average was 8.8 years.
Researchers noted that these additional years of sickness are not concentrated at the end of life but are distributed across adult years. This suggests a growing trend of people living with chronic diseases and disabilities.
Overall life expectancy has risen from under 65 years to nearly 74 years since 1990. However, healthy life expectancy only increased from about 56 years to 63 years during the same period.
The United States recorded the largest national morbidity gap, with an average of 14 years spent in poor health. High-income nations averaged nearly 13 years in ill health, while sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest gap at nine years.
Globally, women live longer than men but also spend more years in poor health, with an average gap of 12 years compared to just over nine years for men.
Low back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders were identified as the primary contributors to the morbidity gap. Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, also played a significant role, alongside age-related hearing loss and chronic diseases.
Many of these years lived in poor health are linked to preventable or manageable risk factors. These include high blood sugar, excess body weight, malnutrition, and tobacco use, highlighting opportunities for intervention.
