WHO Reports Global Life Expectancy Rebound Alongside Growing Noncommunicable Disease Burden

Global life expectancy has largely rebounded toward pre-pandemic levels, reaching 73.3 years in 2023, while noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) now account for an increasing proportion of deaths worldwide, according to the latest Global Health Estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report, which tracks health trends, causes of death, and disease burden between 2000 and 2023, notes that global life expectancy is near the 73.4 years recorded in 2019. However, healthy life expectancy has recovered at a slower pace, reaching 62.8 years in 2023, which remains 0.4 years below the 2019 baseline.

According to the WHO findings, NCDs were responsible for 74% of deaths globally in 2023, up from 58% in 2000, representing eight of the world's ten leading causes of death. For the first time, communicable diseases accounted for less than half of all deaths in low-income countries in 2023.

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the primary cause of mortality and disease burden globally. Ischaemic heart disease caused approximately 9.5 million deaths and 210 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2023. While overall progress against ischaemic heart disease was observed in several regions since 2000, individual risk levels increased in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regions.

Other chronic conditions have also increased significantly. The risk of mortality from diabetes grew substantially since 2000, particularly in South-East Asia. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias climbed from the 19th leading cause of death globally in 2000 to the fifth in 2023, with global dementia deaths tripling over that span.

The report also highlighted rising impacts from mental health and substance use disorders. Between 2019 and 2023, the global age-standardized DALY rate grew by approximately 20% for depressive disorders and nearly 45% for anxiety disorders, combining for an estimated 110 million years of healthy life lost in 2023. For drug use disorders from 2000 to 2023, the WHO Region of the Americas recorded the largest increases in mortality risk and healthy life loss, whereas the Western Pacific Region saw substantial declines.

Dr. Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, stated that while longer lifespans represent a major public health milestone, the key challenge remains ensuring those years are lived in good health and equipping health systems to address changing population needs.

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