Global life expectancy recovers to 73.3 years, just below pre-pandemic level, says WHO
6 October 2026
WHO's latest Global Health Estimates put global life expectancy at 73.3 years in 2023, against 73.4 years in 2019.
Healthy life expectancy reached 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below its 2019 level.
Noncommunicable diseases caused 74 per cent of deaths in 2023, up from 58 per cent in 2000.
Communicable diseases caused under half of all deaths in low-income countries for the first time.
Ischaemic heart disease alone caused about 9.5 million deaths.
Dementia rose from the 19th leading cause of death in 2000 to the fifth in 2023.
Life expectancy 2023:
73.3 years
Healthy life expectancy 2023:
62.8 years
NCD share of deaths 2023:
74 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Headline health indicators from WHO are a staple of reports-and-indices questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Healthy life expectancy Years lived in good health — It has recovered more slowly than total life expectancy.