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1h ago

Global Life Expectancy Rebounds, but Study Flags Rising Teen and Young-Adult Deaths

The GBD 2023 analyses tie the increases to region-specific causes, with roughly half of deaths and disability deemed preventable.

In 2023, life expectancy was 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men, according to new analyses.
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Calgary resident Heather Evans knows the grim toll of heart disease. She's experiencing heart failure at the age of 61, and has already lost five siblings. New research shows heart disease is the top global killer, alongside other chronic conditions that researchers say deserve renewed attention.

Overview

  • In 2023, life expectancy returned to pre-pandemic levels at 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men, even as wide regional gaps persist.
  • Researchers report an emerging rise in deaths among adolescents and young adults driven by suicide, drug overdose and alcohol in North America and parts of Latin America, and by infectious diseases and injuries in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Eastern Europe recorded the sharpest jumps among youth since 2011, including a 54% rise for ages 15–19 and 40% for ages 20–24, with conflict-related injuries increasing as violence shifts toward central and eastern Europe and central Asia.
  • Non-communicable diseases now account for about two-thirds of global mortality and morbidity, led by ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes, as mental health disorders surge worldwide.
  • About half of the global disease burden is attributed to modifiable risks such as high blood pressure, high BMI, high blood sugar, air pollution and smoking, with IHME urging stronger prevention, primary care and sustained funding to avoid widening inequities.