Global life expectancy has rebounded to 73.3 years, almost returning to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, even as noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia account for a growing share of deaths worldwide.
The World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed this in its latest Global Health Estimates released on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The estimates track changes in global health across countries and regions from 2000 to 2023, covering life expectancy, major causes of death and the burden of diseases and disabilities.
According to WHO, life expectancy in 2023 was only marginally below the level recorded before the pandemic. However, the recovery in the number of years people can expect to live in good health has been slower.
Dr Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, said:
Despite the recovery in life expectancy, WHO data show that the global disease burden is shifting increasingly towards noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs accounted for 74% of deaths worldwide in 2023, up from 58% in 2000, while eight of the 10 leading causes of death globally were noncommunicable diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the biggest contributor, with ischaemic heart disease alone responsible for about 9.5 million deaths and 210 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023, while dementia rose from the 19th leading cause of death globally in 2000 to fifth place in 2023 as deaths linked to the condition tripled.
The changing disease pattern is becoming increasingly evident even in low-income countries, including many African economies that have historically faced a heavier burden from infectious diseases. For the first time in 2023, communicable diseases accounted for less than half of deaths in low-income countries, indicating a gradual transition towards a greater burden from chronic illnesses.
WHO has previously warned that NCDs are on course to overtake communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases as the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 if countries do not strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The policy seeks to decentralise services for conditions such as diabetes and hypertension by expanding prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation at the primary healthcare level rather than depending mainly on higher-level facilities.
Governments and international health organisations have increasingly turned to preventive measures, including taxation of products associated with higher risks of chronic diseases, alongside improvements in screening and healthcare access.
It is estimated that about 8% of Nigerians were living with diabetes, while the Federal Government’s 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report estimated that hypertension affects about 35% to 40% of Nigerian adults.
