WHO data: India's life expectancy beats Pakistan, trails Bangladesh

India's life expectancy at birth was 71 years in 2023, surpassing Pakistan's 68.2 years but trailing Bangladesh's 72.7 years, according to new World Health Organization estimates. The figures also show the US at 78.5 years and Canada at 81.4 years. India's healthy life expectancy was 60.6 years in 2023, recovering from a pandemic low of 58.4 years in 2021 but only slightly above the 2019 level of 60.5 years. Life expectancy fell to 68.1 years in 2021 before rebounding to 71 years in 2023, regaining 2.9 years in two years. India's disease profile has shifted dramatically, with non-communicable diseases like heart disease and stroke now accounting for nearly 75% of deaths from top causes, up from 34% in 2000. Globally, life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels.