Global Life Expectancy Nears Pre-Pandemic Levels, but Healthy Years Lag, WHO Says

Global life expectancy is approaching levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the number of healthy years people can expect to live continues to lag behind, according to the World Health Organization, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

The WHO said healthy life lost to anxiety disorders has risen by nearly 45% since 2019, while healthy life lost to depressive disorders has increased by around 20% over the same period.

The figures point to a growing mental health burden even as other indicators of population health, such as overall life expectancy, show signs of recovery from the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The report did not specify which regions have seen the sharpest increases in anxiety- or depression-related healthy life loss, or what factors the WHO attributes the rise to beyond the broader pandemic-era context.

Healthy life expectancy, sometimes referred to by health agencies as a measure of years lived in good health, is generally considered by public health experts as a more complete gauge of population wellbeing than raw life expectancy figures alone, since it accounts for the burden of chronic illness and disability.

The WHO’s findings suggest that even as nations continue to recover from the pandemic in terms of mortality trends, mental health conditions remain an area of concern for global health authorities.