A new report by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) has revealed that the global mortality rate has declined by 67 per cent since 1950, despite population growth and ageing.
The study, which covered 204 countries and territories as well as 660 subnational locations between 1990 and 2023, was published in The Lancet medical journal and released on its website on Sunday.
The findings were presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, which runs from Sunday to Tuesday.
According to the report, global life expectancy has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, rising by over 20 years since 1950 — to 76.3 years for females and 71.5 years for males.
However, the study highlighted wide regional disparities, with life expectancy ranging from 83 years in high-income regions to 62 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
While global health indicators have improved, the report warned of an emerging crisis of higher death rates among adolescents and young adults. It attributed this to suicide and substance abuse in North and Latin America, and to infectious diseases and unintentional injuries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Between 2011 and 2023, the highest increase in deaths was recorded among those aged 20 to 39 years in high-income North America, largely due to suicide, drug overdose, and excessive alcohol use. Deaths among people aged 5 to 19 also rose in Eastern Europe, North America, and the Caribbean during the same period.
The report said the global mean age at death increased from 46.4 years in 1990 to 62.9 years in 2023, though significant geographic inequities persist.
“The highest mean age of death was recorded in high-income regions — 80.5 years for females and 74.4 for males — while the lowest was in sub-Saharan Africa, at 37.1 for females and 34.8 for males,” the report stated.
It noted that although the probability of dying before age 70 decreased globally between 2000 and 2023, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain a major cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report also revealed that mortality among girls and women aged 15–29 years in sub-Saharan Africa is 61 per cent higher than previously estimated, largely due to maternal mortality, road injuries, and meningitis.
In Nigeria, the report showed significant progress, with fewer people dying now than in 1990. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) dropped from 1,722.41 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990 to 1,085.19 in 2023.
For males, the rate fell from 1,846.59 to 1,182.86, and for females, from 1,599.20 to 1,003.34, reflecting improved health outcomes and longer life expectancy.
The study warned, however, that cuts to development assistance for health threaten recent gains, especially in fighting infectious diseases and improving child health.
It also found that more children aged 5–14 in sub-Saharan Africa died between 1950 and 2021 than previously estimated, mainly from respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and unintentional injuries.
The report emphasized the growing global burden of non-communicable diseases, which now account for nearly two-thirds of deaths worldwide, led by heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
It said half of the world’s disease burden is preventable and driven by 88 modifiable risk factors, with high blood pressure, air pollution, and smoking identified as the top three.
The study also reported a sharp rise in mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression increasing death and disability by 63 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.
The research was led by Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, alongside the GBD Collaborator Network.
It produced estimates for 375 diseases and injuries and 88 risk factors by age and sex from 1990 to 2023.
The Lancet, founded in 1823 in the United Kingdom, is one of the world’s leading peer-reviewed medical journals, covering global health, medicine, and public health policy.
