Life expectancy almost back to pre-Covid levels, says WHO
Summary
Global life expectancy has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 73.3 years in 2023, though healthy life expectancy is recovering more slowly. WHO says noncommunicable diseases now account for most deaths worldwide, while Covid-19 has fallen out of the top 10 leading causes of death.
Key Points
- Global life expectancy rose to 73.3 years in 2023, almost matching the 73.4 years recorded in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Healthy life expectancy remained lower, at 62.8 years, still 0.4 years below the 2019 level.
- Dementia deaths have tripled, while anxiety- and depression-related health loss has increased sharply since the pandemic.
- Ischaemic heart disease remains the world’s biggest killer, and Covid-19 has dropped to the 14th leading cause of death.
