The recovery in global health following the COVID-19 pandemic remains uneven, with people living longer but not necessarily spending those additional years in good health.
The World Health Organization said global life expectancy rose to 73.3 years in 2023, nearly matching the 73.4 years recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.
Healthy life expectancy, however, stood at 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below the pre-pandemic level.
The WHO also reported that dementia deaths have tripled, while health loss linked to anxiety and depression has increased significantly since the pandemic.
Of the 61 million deaths worldwide in 2023, the 10 leading causes accounted for 33 million, with noncommunicable diseases making up eight of the top 10.
Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, followed by stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while lower respiratory infections and dementia ranked fourth and fifth.
