Asia life expectancy gains mask widening health gap, study finds
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A comprehensive analysis of life expectancy across 34 Asian countries from 1990 to 2023 reveals significant gains, with South Asia seeing the largest annual increases. However, the global gap between lifespan and healthy lifespan widened from 8.8 to 10.7 years over the period, driven by rising chronic disease burden.
Life Expectancy Trends
Life expectancy increased in all 34 Asian countries and territories between 1990 and 2023, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 published in Nature. The largest annual gains occurred in South Asia, while high-income Asia Pacific saw the smallest increases. Reductions in cardiovascular disease mortality drove gains in Central Asia, East Asia, and high-income Asia Pacific, while declines in diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis contributed most in South and Southeast Asia.
Pandemic Impact
Between 2019 and 2023, life expectancy declined in several Asian regions, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first year of the pandemic saw a nearly two-year loss in life expectancy. The study highlights that the causes of changes in life expectancy and contributing risk factors varied widely across regions and countries.
Healthy Lifespan Gap
Global average life expectancy rose from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 years in 2023, while healthy life expectancy increased only from 55.9 to 63.1 years, according to Tengrinews reporting on the same study. The gap between lifespan and healthy lifespan grew from 8.8 years in 1990 to 10.7 years in 2023, meaning people spend more time with chronic diseases and disability. In 2023, people globally spent about 14.5% of their lives in poor health.
What's Next
The study calls for proactive policies at regional and national levels to reduce premature mortality and inequalities. It remains unclear whether health systems can adapt to address the growing burden of chronic disease alongside infectious disease threats.
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Asia life expectancy gains mask widening health gap, study finds
