Global Life Expectancy Rises While Years Spent in Good Health Lag Behind, Study Finds

A comprehensive international study has revealed a troubling paradox: while global life expectancy has increased substantially since 1990, the number of years people spend in poor health has also widened significantly. Researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington analyzed data from 204 countries and territories, finding that the proportion of life spent managing chronic conditions rather than thriving has grown across nearly all nations examined.

The disparity, known as the “morbidity gap,” expanded most dramatically in wealthy countries with advanced medical systems capable of extending lifespans. In 1990, people globally spent 13.6 percent of their lives in poor health; by 2023, that figure had climbed to 14.5 percent. The United States experienced the most pronounced burden, with citizens spending approximately 14 years—or 17.8 percent of their expected lifespan—coping with illness or disability.

Global life expectancy at birth rose from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 years in 2023, while healthy life expectancy increased more modestly, from 55.9 years to 63.1 years. This gap highlights a critical challenge in modern medicine: physicians have become far more effective at preventing death than at preventing the functional decline associated with aging and chronic conditions, according to researchers whose findings were published in The Lancet Public Health.

Low back pain, hearing loss, depression, anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for approximately 57 percent of all years lived in poor health globally. Additional contributors included high blood glucose levels, obesity and aging demographics. Women, while living longer than men on average, also experience more extended periods of diminished health.

Dr. Antony Chu, a clinical assistant professor at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine, emphasized that modern medicine’s success in treating cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections has inadvertently created a new problem. “Many of those additional years are now lived with chronic pain, disability, sensory loss, depression or reduced independence,” Chu told Fox News Digital.

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, urged a fundamental shift in how society measures health progress. Rather than focusing solely on extending lifespan, researchers and policymakers should emphasize “healthspan”—the number of years people spend in good health—with greater investment in prevention, disease management and chronic care strategies.

Chu advocated for a preventive approach that assesses mobility, muscle strength, balance, hearing and cognitive function as rigorously as current monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol. Progressive resistance training, fall prevention and early treatment of chronic pain should become standard elements of preventive medicine, he argued, potentially having as much impact on healthy aging as cardiovascular disease prevention.

Mental health and social connection emerged as equally critical factors in achieving healthy aging. Hearing loss, depression, loneliness and anxiety frequently reinforce one another, accelerating physical decline and diminishing quality of life. Chu noted that cultural factors also play a significant role, observing that many societies outside the United States maintain multigenerational families where older adults serve as mentors and sources of wisdom, providing a protective sense of purpose that American seniors often lack.

“Healthy aging is not determined solely by biology; it is also shaped by community, purpose and human connection,” Chu said. The fundamental challenge ahead, he argued, is shifting medicine’s focus from simply adding years to life toward adding meaningful quality and function to those additional years.