Non-Communicable Diseases Now Cause Two-Thirds of All Deaths: Lancet Study Finds - Video

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes now account for nearly two-thirds of the world's total mortality and morbidity, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet. The report also finds a significant global rise in life expectancy, from 46.8 years in 1990 to 63.4 years in 2023, highlighting a complex global health transition driven by ageing, lifestyle, and shifting disease patterns.

The GBD 2023 study is one of the most comprehensive demographic analyses, covering 204 countries and territories. Led by Dr Christopher Murray and his team at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the study draws on data from a global network of 16,500 researchers. It offers new estimates of all-cause mortality and life expectancy from 1950 to 2023, using a novel statistical model to account for complex demographic patterns. In total, 60.1 million deaths occurred globally in 2023, with 4.67 million in children under five. Yet, despite population growth and ageing, the age-standardised all-cause mortality rate fell by 66.6% since 1950.

The researchers observed large reductions in age-standardised rates of Years of Life Lost for respiratory infections, tuberculosis, nutritional deficiencies, and enteric infections, with declines between 58.9% and 79.0%. Simultaneously, modifiable risk factors such as high blood sugar, high BMI, and smoking have emerged as major drivers of poor health, contributing to nearly half of global death and disability.

Mental health, too, showed alarming trends: age-standardised rates of anxiety rose by 62.8% and depression by 26.3% since 2010. Alzheimer’s disease entered the top 25 causes of global disability.

“The rapid growth in the world’s ageing population and evolving risk factors have ushered in a new era of global health challenges,” said Dr Murray. The study urges policymakers to adapt to this new reality by prioritising prevention, risk reduction, and long-term chronic disease management.

Reference: Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950–2023: a demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Schumacher, Austin E et al. The Lancet, Volume 0, Issue 0