We Live Longer, but Sicker: Global Study Reveals Rise in Years Spent with Health Problems

Global life expectancy has risen dramatically over the past century, reaching 73.8 years, thanks to reductions in infectious diseases, maternal and infant mortality, and advances in the treatment of chronic conditions. However, a major new study shows that the extra years gained are not necessarily lived in good health, according to Euronews.

The research, which analysed 204 countries and territories, found that in almost every part of the world, gains in life expectancy have outpaced improvements in healthy life expectancy. The study's authors argue that health systems need to rethink their priorities: not merely extending life, but also improving the quality of the additional years gained.

How much of our lives do we spend in poor health

Globally, in 2023, people spent an average of 14.5% of their lives in poor health. The data shows that greater longevity is increasingly accompanied by non-fatal illnesses and disabilities.

A concerning finding: the countries where people live the longest also recorded the most years spent with health problems. This suggests that longevity is extending the period of illness and disability in adult life, rather than pushing it closer to old age.

• In the wealthiest countries, people spent 15.7% of their lives in poor health in 2023.
• Sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest morbidity gap, at nine years.
• The Netherlands recorded the largest increase in this indicator: from 13.2% in 1990 to 15.7% in 2023.
• The largest morbidity gaps were observed in the United States, Australia, and Canada.
• The smallest gaps were recorded in Nauru, the Solomon Islands, and Laos.

What is causing this gap

According to the study, non-fatal conditions accounted for 57.4% of the global morbidity gap, prolonging the period in which people live with disability or reduced health.

The main contributing factors include musculoskeletal conditions (such as lower back pain), mental health disorders, sensory organ diseases (for example, age-related hearing loss), and unintentional injuries. In low-income countries, these are compounded by nutritional deficiencies, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.

The study also identified the following risk factors: high body mass index, maternal and child malnutrition, tobacco use, elevated fasting blood glucose levels, and air pollution. Drug use and excessive alcohol consumption featured among the top ten risk factors only in high-income countries, whilst unprotected sex was a major factor exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa.