New Delhi: Life expectancy at birth in India has risen to 71 years, putting it ahead of Pakistan, whose life expectancy is 68.2, according to the World Health Organisation’s latest Global Health Estimates.
The WHO estimates, released on October 2, analyse the changes in life expectancy, causes of death and disease burden across countries between 2000 and 2023.
Globally, life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, almost returning to the 73.4 years recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
How long do people live in India and Pakistan?
Life expectancy at birth refers to the average number of years a newborn would be expected to live based on the current mortality rates. However, it does not mean that every person in the country will live exactly that long.
In 2023, life expectancy at birth was estimated at 71 years in India, compared with 68.2 years in Pakistan, creating a gap of about 2.8 years.
What are the main causes of death?
The WHO estimates show that both India and Pakistan face a mix of non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and other health risks.
In India, the data lists ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and diabetes among the leading causes of death.
Pakistan also has ischaemic heart disease and stroke among its leading causes of death, alongside preterm birth complications, birth asphyxia, and birth trauma.
Why is life expectancy different?
The WHO release does not itself explain the India-Pakistan gap, but child-health data point to the biggest factor, because deaths of babies and young children heavily impact life expectancy at birth.
Pakistan faces a heavier burden of childbirth and early life complications compared to India.
India’s under-five mortality was 28 per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to UN estimates, against about 58 in Pakistan, roughly double. For newborns, the gap is similar, at around 17 per 1,000 in India and about 38 in Pakistan.
A UN report credits programmes such as universal immunisation and facility-based newborn care for the progress. In Pakistan, meanwhile, a systematic review of studies from 2018 to 2023 found the country had the poorest stillbirth outcomes in South Asia and blamed weak antenatal and delivery care.
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What does the WHO report say about the world?
Global health is also changing. Life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, while healthy life expectancy, the number of years a person can expect to live in full health, was 62.8 years, still 0.4 years below its 2019 level.
Non-communicable diseases accounted for 74 per cent of deaths worldwide in 2023, compared with 58 per cent in 2000. Eight of the world’s ten leading causes of death were non-communicable diseases.
Ischaemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death, responsible for an estimated 9.5 million deaths in 2023.
What does this mean for India?
Living longer does not necessarily mean living healthier. India’s healthy life expectancy was 60.6 years in 2023, about ten years short of the 71-year figure.
For India, the primary challenge is tackling chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, COPD, and diabetes.
Edited by Maryam Hassan