Global Life Expectancy Nears Pre-Pandemic Levels, According to World Health Organization Report
According to the World Health Organization's World Health Statistics report, global average life expectancy rose to 73.3 years in 2023.
A World Health Organization report on Global Health Estimates announced that global average life expectancy reached 73.3 years as of 2023, coming very close to pre-pandemic levels.
Developments in Global Average Life Expectancy
The World Health Organization shared its comprehensive report titled World Health Estimates, which addresses trends in average life expectancy, causes of death, and disease burden.
The published report stated that following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global average life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, approaching the 2019 level of 73.4 years.
Status of Healthy Life Expectancy
While a recovery was observed in global average life expectancy, healthy life expectancy exhibited a slower growth trend.
According to the disclosed data, healthy life expectancy reached 62.8 years in 2023, but this figure still remains 0.4 years below the 2019 level.
Growing Share of Noncommunicable Diseases
The report drew attention to the fact that noncommunicable diseases account for an increasingly larger proportion of deaths.
It was emphasized that health conditions such as diabetes, dementia, mental health issues, and substance use disorders pose an increasing disease burden.
Long-Term Shift in Causes of Death
It was stated that 74 percent of global deaths in 2023 were caused by noncommunicable diseases, compared to 58 percent in the year 2000.
Additionally, it was recalled that nearly 8 out of the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide in 2023 originated from noncommunicable diseases.
Epidemiological Transition in Low-Income Countries
It was noted that this shift in noncommunicable diseases is becoming increasingly pronounced in countries across all income levels.
For the first time in 2023, infectious diseases accounted for less than half of all deaths in low-income countries, which was stated to be a new step in the global epidemiological transition.
Future Warnings from WHO Official
Alain Labrique, Director of the WHO Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics, and Innovations, shared evaluations within the scope of the report.
Stating that living longer is one of the greatest achievements of public health, Labrique indicated that the primary challenge moving forward is ensuring those additional years are spent in good health.