Overview
- Noncommunicable diseases again dominate causes of death in 2023, led by ischemic heart disease, stroke and COPD, while Covid‑19 fell to roughly 20th.
- Disability‑adjusted life years declined 36% from 1990 to 2023, with nearly half of the burden linked to 88 modifiable risk factors including high blood pressure, air pollution, smoking, high blood sugar and elevated BMI.
- The largest recent increases in deaths among 20‑ to 39‑year‑olds were recorded in North America, and mortality also rose among 5‑ to 19‑year‑olds in Eastern Europe and the Caribbean.
- Wide gaps persist, with life expectancy around 83 years in high‑income countries and far lower averages in parts of sub‑Saharan Africa.
- The Global Burden of Disease update, produced by IHME using over 310,000 data sources and input from about 16,000 experts across 204 countries, warns that cuts to international health funding could jeopardize progress.