World Health Statistics 2020

Life expectancy gives an indication of how long a population is expected to live on average. But Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) reveals the true health of a population.

It’s about both length of life and quality of life. Not just the number of years the average person lives, but the number of years they can expect to live in good health. And the encouraging news is that, between 2000 and 2016, HALE increased globally by 8% from 59 years to 63.

This visualization reveals the interplay between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, and allows us to see how this has changed between 2000 and 2016.

The further to the right a country appears, the greater the proportion of life is lived in good health by people in that country. A larger bubble represents a longer healthy life expectancy.

The data tells us a story of great global progress: HALE has increased globally during this time period. Yet from this chart, we can see there are many disparities between regions.

A country further to the right with a small bubble might appear to be in a good position. But it means that although a large proportion of life is healthy in this country, the average healthy life might not be long.

By contrast, in a country further to the left with a large bubble, the proportion of healthy years is lower but the length of healthy life could be much longer.

We want to achieve equality across all regions. But currently there is a clear difference in equity between Africa and Europe.

There are great challenges to surviving and thriving through life’s chapters, from infanthood to old age. And some regions face far greater challenges than others.

From declining mortality rates to ending epidemics of infectious diseases, the world has made significant forward strides. But there is much more to be done. 

These visualizations highlight the progress made in recent decades, where we stand today and reveal the challenges we still face.

In some contexts, the beginning of new life – motherhood and infancy – presents life’s greatest health challenges. 

Yet the downward trend of these two charts reveals major progress has been made in both under-5 mortality and maternal mortality. Most of this progress was achieved this century as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 

Since 2000, the risk of a child dying before their fifth birthday has halved in the African region. This is due, in part, to gains made in vaccination coverage for specific diseases.

From 2000 to 2018, global coverage of DTP3 (Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) immunization rose from 72% to 86%. In those same two decades, MCV2 (Measles-containing-vaccine second-dose) immunization coverage increased from 18% to 69%. And from 2008 to 2018, PCV3 (Pneumococcal conjugate 3rd dose) immunization coverage also increased from 4% to 47%. 

However we can see that under-5 mortality remains a significant problem in Africa, where the rate is more than eight times higher than the European region in 2018. Many countries require a significant effort to get on track for the 2030 goal: to reduce under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1000 live births. This goal is in sight, but there is more work to be done.

Most maternal deaths are preventable. The death of women as a result of complications during or following pregnancy and childbirth reflects the global inequalities in access to quality health care. 

Globally, between 2014 and 2019, 81% of births were attended by skilled health personnel. But this differs significantly between regions. We can see from the chart above not only how much progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality but also where more efforts are needed. 

By 2030, we aim to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births. Africa’s current ratio is 525 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births. That’s more than seven times greater than the target.

Infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and HIV have long been some of the world’s biggest killers. 

The African region still lags far behind the global average in all three, yet the past two decades have seen dramatic progress. 

Incidences of HIV, TB and malaria have decreased globally since 2000, yet they still pose a major threat. Indeed, progress in the fight against malaria has stalled in most regions since 2014 and HIV has increased in Europe and Eastern Mediterranean compared with 2000.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) can affect anyone, anywhere, regardless of age or gender. These diseases are not transmissible directly from person to person and, crucially, premature onset and deaths from NCDs are largely preventable.

NCDs are primarily cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Interventions that reduce environmental, metabolic and behavioural risk factors – air pollution, tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol consumption – could reduce risk. 

Despite the fact that these diseases are preventable, the number of NCD-attributed deaths are increasing – and increasing everywhere as demographic changes offset the decline in NCD mortality rates. They are becoming an even larger proportion of total deaths. This trend cuts across all income groups, globally, from low-income countries to wealthier nations. Consequently, NCDs now account for the vast majority of global deaths each year. 

This reflects both the world’s great progress in tackling some SDG indicators – including infectious disease and child mortality, and the need to now focus on achieving accelerated progress in NCDs. However, such progress in combating NCDs is slowing.

Despite the reduction in premature mortality from the four major NCDs (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases) achieved at the start of this century, this progress has not been sustained. 

This chart shows an alarming slowdown in the average annualized rate of decline in NCD mortality, from -1.6% between 2000-2010 to -1.1% between 2010-2016.

This is in parallel and partly attributed to the lack of progress in addressing NCD risks. 

By using the dropdown menu on this chart, you can explore three risk factors that are linked to the slowed progress in NCD mortality reduction. 

Obesity in particular is on the rise globally and alcohol use is also increasing in some regions. Meanwhile, the decline in tobacco use is slowing.

A well-prepared health workforce under adequate working conditions is essential to strong health systems. Health professionals such as medical doctors and nurses are the people who respond to both emergencies and everyday needs. And the world needs millions more of them if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

This is why the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

Here we can see the dramatic disparities in the number of people versus the number of health workers across different world regions. It reveals just how varied the distribution is throughout the world and highlights the unacceptable scarcity of health workers in some regions.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) are an agreement between 196 countries and territories to work together for global health security. They are a commitment to develop and improve public health capacities that make the world ready to respond to emerging public health emergencies.

The IHR scoring system exists to measure a country’s ability to prepare for and respond to these health emergencies.

The data presented here is reported by countries on 13 core capacities which include, for example, measures taken at ports, airports and ground crossings to limit the spread of health risks.

A country (averaged out on this chart for the six different regions) reports a score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the maximum.

The patchwork shading of this visualization reveals that while certain regions are better prepared than others, no region currently achieves a score of more than 85 for any of the 13 indicators. 

It’s a timely reminder that readiness for health emergencies is complex and multi-layered. So across the world, there remains much room for improvement across these 13 core capacities.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been the most urgent test of national capacities to respond to a health emergency in more than a century. This chart presents the epidemiological curve for COVID-19 from 11 January to 5 May: how the virus spread rapidly and globally, affecting nearly every country and territory.

This chart’s shape reveals the global evolution of the outbreak. Cases were first detected in China, with the outbreak coming under control domestically as the first cases were appearing internationally. In a matter of days after it began to spread, the outbreak was confirmed as a public health emergency of international concern.

From there it grew exponentially, spreading across the world. As confirmed cases increased, the number of deaths followed. In just weeks, it was characterized as a pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for global cooperation to improve population health. In order to achieve the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is critical that we monitor progress on all fronts in our efforts to reduce inequalities, address climate change and strengthen health systems, so that no one is left behind.

Note: WHO Member States are grouped into six regions.