Healthafp.com

Life expectancy almost back to pre-Covid levels, says WHO

Global life expectancy has nearly bounced back to pre-COVID levels at 73.3 years, but healthy life expectancy is recovering more slowly, the WHO says.

Global life expectancy is close to the levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the outlook for years lived in good health is recovering more...

The Long Sip
What happened

The WHO's annual Global Health Estimates report found life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, just below the 73.4 years recorded before the pandemic.

The detail

Healthy life expectancy is recovering more slowly at 62.8 years, while dementia deaths have tripled and anxiety and depression have risen sharply since COVID.

What it means

Heart disease remains the world's biggest killer, responsible for 16 per cent of deaths, while COVID dropped out of the top 10 causes of death for the first time.

For you

The WHO report found dementia deaths have tripled and depression-related health loss has risen sharply since COVID, so staying on top of brain and mental health checks matters more than ever.

Full story at afp.com

What readers are saying

tony1987
Noncommunicable diseases making up 74 percent of global deaths shows how critical preventative health measures are now. Ischaemic heart disease alone jumping to 9.5 million deaths highlights where the focus needs to be.
FilipinoAusGrace
How much of that gap in healthy life expectancy is driven by the rise in dementia? ❤️
NewlyRetired_Helen
Life expectancy bounced back, but living those extra years in good health is lagging behind.
Jilso
Good to see Covid dropping out of the top ten.
bazz1988
The bit about dementia deaths tripling since Covid is wild - that's a massive jump and it barely gets a mention alongside the headline figures. Makes you wonder what's actually driving that spike.
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