Global life expectancy bounces back to near pre-pandemic levels, WHO says

People around the world are living longer again, with global life expectancy almost fully recovered from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.According to the UN health agency’s latest Global Health Estimates, life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, just shy of the 73.4 years recorded in 2019.“Living longer is one of the great achievements of public health,” said Dr. Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI.The estimates, which cover trends in death and disability worldwide by region and by country from 2000 to 2023, draw on various sources including national vital registration data and estimates from WHO technical programmes alongside UN partner organizations.Healthy life expectancy – the years people live in good health – has recovered more slowly, reaching 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below its 2019 level.“The next challenge is to ensure that those additional years are lived in good health, while health systems are equipped to respond to the changing needs of populations,” Dr. Labrique said.Milestone for low-income countriesThe estimates also point to a long-term shift...