Global study shows lifespan rise accompanied by extra years of poor health
A study published in The Lancet Public Health analysed data from 204 countries spanning 1990‑2023. It found global life expectancy increased from 64.6 years to 73.8 years, while healthy life expectancy grew more modestly from 55.9 years to 63.1 years. The resulting morbidity gap means the average person now spends about 10.7 years living with disease or disability, up from 8.8 years three decades earlier. Women experience a larger gap – 12.1 years in poor health versus 9.3 years for men. High‑income nations show the widest gaps: the United States 14 years, Australia 13.9 years, Canada 13.7 years, and Germany 11.9 years. Overall, 14.5 % of a person’s life is now lived in compromised health, driven largely by chronic conditions such as back pain, hearing loss, depression and diabetes. The findings highlight a growing challenge for health systems worldwide to extend not just lifespan but healthy lifespan.
Entities: Catherine Bisignano · Christopher Murray · Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation · Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) · The Lancet Public Health · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] Healthy life expectancy increased from 55.9 years in 1990 to 63.1 years in 2023. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 9 SOURCES] The United States has the largest morbidity gap at 14 years. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Average people now spend 10.7 years living with disease or disability, up from 8.8 years in 1990. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The study analysed data from 204 countries between 1990 and 2023. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Globally 14.5 % of life is lived in poor health. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Global life expectancy increased from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 years in 2023. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Australia’s morbidity gap is 13.9 years and Canada’s is 13.7 years. (The Lancet Public Health study)
- [● 9 SOURCES] In 2023 women spent on average 12.1 years in poor health, compared with 9.3 years for men. (The Lancet Public Health study)