Global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, nearly returning to pre-pandemic peaks, while healthy life expectancy recovered more slower to 62.8 years. Noncommunicable diseases now account for 74 percent of all deaths worldwide, led by cardiovascular diseases and dementia, according to the latest World Health Organization estimates.
Average global life expectancy hit 73.3 years in 2023, standing just a fraction below the 73.4 years recorded in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted populations worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s latest Global Health Estimates released in October 2026.
That recovery follows a sharp drop to 71.5 years in 2021.
Standing at 62.8 years in 2023, healthy life expectancy—the average number of years an individual can expect to live without serious illness or disability—remains 0.4 years below its 2019 level.
“Living longer is one of the great achievements of public health,” said Dr Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI. “The next challenge is to ensure that those additional years are lived in good health, while health systems are equipped to respond to the changing needs of populations.”
Dr Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI
Noncommunicable Diseases Drive Changing Causes of Death
Noncommunicable diseases made up eight of the world’s ten leading causes, representing 74 percent of all global deaths in 2023, up from 58 percent in 2000.
Ischaemic heart disease alone caused approximately 9.5 million deaths in 2023 and the loss of 210 million disability-adjusted life years.
Alzheimer disease and other dementias surged from the 19th leading cause of death globally in 2000 to the fifth leading cause in 2023, with total deaths from the condition tripling over that period. Similarly, the risk of dying from diabetes rose across the same timeframe, particularly within South-East Asia.
Regional Lifespan Disparities Shape the Indian Health Profile
India’s life expectancy at birth reached 71 years in 2023, outperforming Pakistan at 68.2 years but trailing Bangladesh at 72.7 years, the United States at 78.5 years, and Canada at 81.4 years.
India experienced a swift rebound from pandemic-era losses, regaining 2.9 years of expected lifespan in the two years between 2021 and 2023.
Healthy life expectancy in the country rose from 58.4 years in 2021 to 60.6 years in 2023. At age 60, a person in India could expect 13.7 of their remaining years to be lived in full health in 2023, up from 13.4 years in 2019.
| Country or Region | 2023 Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Canada | 81.4 years |
| United States | 78.5 years |
| Global Average | 73.3 years |
| Bangladesh | 72.7 years |
| India | 71.0 years |
| Pakistan | 68.2 years |
By 2023, noncommunicable diseases accounted for nearly 75 percent of the death rate among the top ten causes in India, while communicable diseases fell to 16 percent.
Mental Health and Substance Disorders Expand the Global Disease Burden
Between 2019 and 2023, the global age-standardized rate of healthy life lost climbed by approximately 20 percent for depressive disorders and nearly 45 percent for anxiety disorders.
Together, depression and anxiety generated an estimated 110 million years of healthy life lost through premature death and disability in 2023.
The Americas registered the largest increases in mortality risk and healthy life loss tied to drug use between 2000 and 2023, whereas the Western Pacific recorded substantial declines.
For low-income nations, communicable diseases accounted for less than half of all deaths for the first time in 2023.
“The value of these estimates is not only in the numbers themselves,” Dr Labrique said. “By showing how causes of death and disease burden are changing over time and across populations, they give countries evidence to help shape health policies and priorities.”
Dr Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI
How will health systems adapt to ensure that the additional years gained by populations are lived in good health?