Post-pandemic, people across the world live 8 months less and spend 7 fewer months in good health, are less environmentally sustainable and more unequal
Post-pandemic, people across the world live 8 months less and spend 7 fewer months in good health, are less environmentally sustainable and more unequal
New findings by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) reveal that since 2019, the world has become unhealthier, less environmentally sustainable, and more unequal. In the light of this analysis, the ILC sets out a three-point plan for governments to invest in preventative health interventions, support people to stay in work for longer and foster more sustainable societies.
ILC, the UK’s leading authority on the impact of longevity on society, has today launched the second wave of its Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index alongside the WHO’s World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index measures how well 153 countries across the world are ageing, looking at life span, health span, work span, income, environmental performance and happiness.
Comparing the latest 2022 data with 2019 data, ILC’s analysis across 153 countries finds that, on average:
- We are living 8 months less: life expectancy fell by 0.64 years from 73.1 years in 2019, to 72.5 years in 2022.
- We spend 7 fewer months in good health: health span fell by 0.61 years from 63.6 years in 2019, to 63 years in 2022.
- Environmental performance has dropped by 10% mainly due to deteriorating air quality and rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the ILC’s analysis shows:
- We work the same number of years (30.6 years) in 2022 as we did in 2019.
- We were just as happy in 2022 as we were in 2019 (5.14 out of 10) but there is more variability in happiness scores between countries, suggesting unequal progress across the globe.
The ILC’s Index also further highlights how global inequalities are on the rise:
- There is a 27-year gap in life span between the top 10 and bottom 10 countries (one year more than reported in 2019) and a 24-year gap in health span (one year more than in 2019).
- While, on average, we are richer, making $500/year (adjusted for inflation) more than we did in 2019, inequalities between the top 25% countries and the bottom 25% countries have increased by 6.5%. In other words, the gap between richer and poorer countries is now $17,050 per capita, $1,000 larger than the gap in 2019.
- In 2019, the average per capita income across 153 countries was $17,560. This increased to $18,540 in 2022.
- Over the same period, per capita income for the bottom 25 countries decreased from $1,560 to $1,490.
The top-ranking countries on the Index are:
|
1 |
Iceland |
6 |
Australia |
|
2 |
Switzerland |
7 |
The Netherlands |
|
3 |
Sweden |
8 |
New Zealand |
|
4 |
Singapore |
9 |
Denmark |
|
5 |
Norway |
10 |
Luxembourg |
More than a third of the top 20 countries are members of the EU. The UK’s global ranking remains unchanged since 2019 (ranked 14th). It’s seen an improvement in life span, health span and income and a drop in work span, environmental performance, and happiness.
Looking to countries such as Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore and Norway, who have consistently performed well, ILC urges governments to:
- Invest 6% of health spending into preventative health interventions and implement life course immunisation plans.
ILC analysis shows that countries that spend more on preventative health interventions and on vaccinations rank higher on the Index. Recent cost-benefit analysis by the Office for Health Economics (OHE) looking at the full spectrum of societal and economic benefits showed that adult vaccines can return up to 19 times their initial investment for every dollar spent.
- Support people to stay in work for as long as they wish, by removing regulatory barriers, such as mandatory retirement ages, and supporting flexibility in the workplace.
Time spent working has stagnated across the world, and for many, poor health is forcing them out of work when they would like to continue.
- Invest in measures to reduce the negative health impacts of climate change
Environmental performance has dropped more than any other indicator across the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index since COVID-19. Last year, COP28 hosted its first ever joint meeting of Climate and Health Ministers to highlight the interrelationship between the environment and health.
Arunima Himawan, ILC’s Senior Health Policy and Research Manager said:
“The new findings from the Index mark an important step for us to understand how well countries have adapted to longevity. When it comes to health, we’ve seen a marked decrease since 2019, and even a widening of inequalities. This needs to change. We also need to address wider determinants of health such as income inequity, and a drop in environmental sustainability.”
“We have clear calls to action for governments to invest in prevention, work and the environment, so that everyone and not just the privileged few can benefit from longer and healthier lives. We know these strategies work, now it’s up to world leaders to direct greater investment towards them”.
Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe urged:
“Demographics don’t dictate our destiny; our actions do. Facilitating healthy lifestyles, fostering supportive age-friendly environments, and promoting societies and communities where generations thrive together, all contribute to healthy ageing. By engaging older people in decisions that affect them, we can ensure our health and long-term care systems are fit for purpose and harness the untapped potential of older persons.”
Dr Marta Lomazzi, Executive Manager, World Federation of Public Health Associations, commented:
“The new findings from the Index underscore the urgent need for increased investment in prevention. Immunization throughout the lifespan is one of the best tools to ensure every individual can enjoy optimal health for years. We need comprehensive actions now to make lifelong immunization a trusted, routine practice for everyone, in every country.”
Stephen Burke, CEO of Hallmark Foundation which has co-funded the development of the Index, said: “The latest index is a wakeup call for all nations – we can’t assume that we will continue to live longer lives in good health. The index highlights the issues countries need to consider if they want to move up the ranking – from how long we work to how happy we are. Crucially all countries must do more to invest in prevention and reduce inequalities.”
Hans Groth, Chairman of the World Demographic & Ageing Forum (WDA Forum) said: “The updated ILC survey findings come at the right time: Physical and mental health – across all members of a given nation’s society continue to be the most critical driver to advance healthy life expectancy and prosperity on our planet. The past 5 years – with the unprecedented effects of the pandemic – demonstrate what happens if we lose focus on giving prevention or healthier ways to live an ongoing priority. The starting point to achieve this is building health literacy across societies and our ongoing commitment to invest in health. Failure is not an option!”
Ends
Contact
Press@ilcuk.org.uk or +44 (0) 7736 124 096. Spokespeople are available on request.
Notes:
1. ILC, the UK’s leading authority on the impact of longevity on society, has today launched the second wave of its Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index alongside the WHO’s World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index measures how well 153 countries across the world are ageing, looking at life span, health span, work span, income, environmental performance and happiness.
Find out more about the event here: https://ilcuk.org.uk/prevention-index-launch/
- ILC’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index has been made possible by support and charitable grants from GSK, Hallmark Foundation, MSD, Pfizer and Sanofi
- The ILC currently leads the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index Coalition, a group of advocates who have come together to get governments to invest more in preventative health and healthy ageing. The Coalition is made up of organisations and individuals from across the globe, including the World Heart Federation, The European Public Health Association, Alzheimer’s Disease International and the UK Faculty of Public Health.
- Looking across political and economic blocs, there has been a fall in most indicators except for income, resulting in little change in the global rankings between 2019 and 2022 with the exception of the USA-Mexico-Canada Agreement bloc, which has dropped one position.