The study warns that deaths from suicide, overdose, and alcohol surge among people aged 20 to 39 in North America|Scott Thomas|CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Humans are living 20 years longer than in 1950, with global life expectancy reaching 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men in 2023, according to new research by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
Mortality rates have declined in all 204 countries studied, yet alarming trends persist among adolescents and young adults.
The study warns of an “emerging crisis” as deaths from suicide, overdose, and alcohol surge among people aged 20 to 39 in high-income North America.
Changing causes of death
Heart disease and stroke have again become the world’s top killers, while COVID-19 dropped from first place in 2021 to 20th in 2023.
Noncommunicable diseases now cause about two-thirds of global deaths, with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s cases on the rise.
Life expectancy still varies widely—from 83 years in high-income regions to just 62 in sub-Saharan Africa—prompting IHME to call for urgent global action to prevent worsening inequities in health outcomes.