Global lifespan nears pre-pandemic level, but healthy years lag

Global life expectancy recovered to 73.3 years in 2023, close to 73.4 years in 2019. Healthy life expectancy remained 0.4 years below its pre-pandemic level. New WHO estimates released on 2 October show two different recovery paths: years of life have almost returned, while the loss of healthy life has not been fully recovered.

The estimates cover 2000–2023, rather than providing a real-time assessment of health in 2026. Healthy life expectancy reached 62.8 years in 2023. This measure accounts for the effects of illness and disability; it does not mean that everyone becomes ill after a particular birthday.

The two indicators answer different questions for health services. Life expectancy concerns how long people survive. Healthy life expectancy also concerns the health in which those years are lived. Longer survival does not automatically reduce the need for rehabilitation or long-term care.

The update also describes a continuing shift towards noncommunicable diseases. Health services must consider both survival and the ability to manage everyday life. An assessment focused only on deaths can overlook health problems that persistently affect mobility, work and daily activities.

These are population estimates for identifying long-term trends, rather than judgments about an individual’s health. Their policy implication is to assess recovery along both dimensions: how long people live and how much of that time they spend in good health.

Chart: EIPRESS, based on WHO global estimates for 2023; years.

Source : WHO — 2 October 2026.