Global life expectancy rebounds, but healthspan gap widens, WHO warns

Global life expectancy has recovered to 73.3 years in 2023, nearly matching the pre-pandemic level of 73.4 years, but healthy life expectancy lags at 62.8 years, revealing a widening gap between lifespan and healthspan. COVID-19 erased nearly a decade of health gains, dropping life expectancy by 1.8 years between 2019 and 2021, while healthy life expectancy fell by 1.5 years. Recovery is uneven, with high-income regions rebounding faster, though chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions now dominate global deaths. The WHO warns this "fragile global health rebound" signals stagnation in health quality despite survival progress, urging stronger prevention, lifestyle interventions, and equitable healthcare access to prevent the healthspan gap from widening further.