Life expectancy almost back to pre-COVID-19 levels, says WHO
The World Health Organization reports that global life expectancy has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels of 73.3 years. However, healthy life expectancy is recovering more slowly, and deaths from dementia and heart disease remain significant concerns.
Why it matters
Understanding post-pandemic health trends is essential for global public health policy and resource allocation.
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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Global life expectancy is close to the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the outlook for years lived in good health is recovering more slowly, the WHO said Friday.
Life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023—close to the 73.4 years recorded in 2019 before the pandemic struck, the World Health Organization said in its annual Global Health Estimates (GHE) report.
The coronavirus crisis pushed global life expectancy down to 71.5 years in 2021.
"Living longer is one of the great achievements of public health," said Alain Labrique, head of the WHO's data department.
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