Compared to 1950, we live 20 years longer

The so-called life expectancy in the world has returned to pre-pandemic levels – showed the latest report covering 204 countries and published by the Lancet. However, its authors warn that the mortality rate of teenagers and young people is increasing.

Compared to 1950, we live 20 years longer – say specialists from the Institute for Hesalth Metrics and Evaluation, belonging to the Medical University of Washington. Their calculations carried out as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study show that in 2023 the average life expectancy in the world has increased to 76.3 years for women and to 71.5 years for men. In the most developed countries it reaches 83 years, while in Sub-Saharan Africa it does not exceed 62 years.

The average life expectancy in the world is now what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. The situation is similar in Poland, as indicated by data published in 2025 by the National Institute of Public Health-PZH in Warsaw. In 2023, in our country, life expectancy for women was 82.1 years and was 0.3 years longer than in 2019. For men, it increased to 74.7 years and was 0.6 years longer than in the year before the pandemic.

Covid-19 is no longer the leading cause of death worldwide. While in 2021 it was in first place, in 2023 it dropped to twentieth place. The main causes are again cardiovascular diseases, especially heart attacks and strokes. Mortality rates also caused by other infections, such as measles, diarrhea and tuberculosis, are rapidly decreasing. The most common causes of death are the so-called non-communicable diseases, which are also the largest burden on health care budgets. The report shows that although mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases has been decreasing since 1990, deaths are increasingly caused by diabetes, chronic kidney disease and Alzheimer's disease.

“New global health challenges are related to the aging of the world's population and increasing risk factors,” says Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Hesalth Metrics and Evaluation. He adds that the results of research conducted as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study are alarming for the governments of individual countries.

According to the Institute for Hesalth Metrics and Evaluation, the main causes of the most common non-communicable diseases are hypertension, smoking, too high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes and obesity. Only between 2010 and 2023, the burden on medical care due to obesity increased by 11% and due to hypertension – by 6%.

The authors of the report also warn that the mortality rate of teenagers and young people is increasing. In North America, the number of deaths among people aged 20-39 has increased due to suicide, substance abuse and alcohol abuse. In the countries of Eastern Europe and North America, there were more deaths due to infectious diseases and accidents in the 5-19 age group. Between the ages of 15 and 49, the main risk factors are unprotected sex and accidents, as well as obesity, hypertension and smoking.

According to the report of the National Institute of Public Health-PZH “The health situation of the Polish population and its determinants in 2025 – conclusions in the context of planning public health priorities and systemic solutions”, the life expectancy of men in Poland in 2023 was 4.1 years shorter than the average in the European Union. In the case of women, this difference was smaller and amounted to 1.9 years.

The authors of the Polish study point out that the increase in average life expectancy in our country had already slowed down alarmingly before the pandemic. In the years 2014-2019, the life expectancy of women increased by only 0.2 years, and of men – by 0.3. It is disturbing that the health of Poles is deteriorating faster than the average life expectancy increases. This can be changed by a healthy lifestyle, improved social conditions and effective health policy.

Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP)

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