Global Life Expectancy Recovers, Healthier Years Lag

Global life expectancy has nearly recovered to its pre-pandemic standing, reaching 73.3 years in 2023, according to the World Health Organization's latest Global Health Estimates report. This figure is a significant rebound from the 71.5 years recorded in 2021 during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis.

The WHO highlights that while people are living longer, the quality of those additional years is a growing concern. Healthy life expectancy has not rebounded as quickly, currently standing at 62.8 years in 2023, which is 0.4 years less than in 2019.

Since the pandemic's onset, there has been a troubling surge in deaths related to neurological and mental health conditions. The report indicates that dementia deaths have tripled, and the health burden from anxiety and depression has escalated sharply.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) continue to be the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for 74 percent of all deaths in 2023, a substantial increase from 58 percent in 2000. Ischaemic heart disease remains the world's biggest killer, followed by stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Notably, Covid-19 has fallen out of the top 10 causes of death globally, with an estimated 900,000 directly attributable deaths in 2023, compared to its peak impact in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, deaths from HIV and AIDS have significantly decreased.