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NCDs like heart disease and diabetes now cause two-thirds of global deaths.
Anxiety and depression have surged by 63% and 26% respectively.
Environmental heat-related deaths are rising by 6% annually.
Global life expectancy has rebounded post-COVID to 76.3 years for women.
India records sharp decline in child mortality but high total deaths persist.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have overtaken infectious diseases to account for nearly two-thirds of global mortality and morbidity, according to the latest paper on global burden of diseases. Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 was published October 12, 2025, in the journal The Lancet.
Among NCDs, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and illness worldwide. The report also found a steep rise in mental health disorders, with anxiety increasing by 63 per cent and depressive disorders by 26 per cent.
Climate-sensitive risks such as air pollution and extreme heat continue to exert a growing impact on global health. The study found that deaths due to environmental heat and cold exposure increased by 6 per cent annually between 2013 and 2023.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, global life expectancy returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 — 76.3 years for females and 71.5 years for males — compared with a dip to 74.7 and 69.3 years, respectively, in 2021. Life expectancy has now risen by roughly 20 years since 1950.
The 2023 report also added several new causes of death, including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, thyroid and other endocrine metabolic, blood, and immune disorders, and even electrocution.
The total number of deaths in 2023 stood at 60.1 million globally, with 4.67 million among children under five. Population growth and ageing have driven a 35.2 per cent increase in global deaths since 1950, although under-five mortality has steadily declined since 1970. The rate of decline, however, has slowed since 2010, The Lancet report noted.
India ranked second globally in mortality burden with 9.85 million deaths in 2023, behind China’s 10.7 million — a reflection of both nations’ large population sizes.
Female life expectancy in India was estimated at 73 years in 2023, about 1.8 years lower than the global average of 74.8 years. For males, life expectancy stood at 70.2 years, slightly higher than the global average of 69.1 years, as per the Socio-demographic Index (SDI).
Indian women recorded the world’s largest absolute increase in life expectancy since 1950, nearly doubling to 72.4 years from 38.8 — a rise of 33.6 years.
The country has also seen significant progress in reducing child mortality. The under-five mortality rate fell to 32.1 deaths per thousand live births, a 3.9 per cent annual decline between 2000 and 2023. This improvement is attributed to investments in maternal, neonatal and child healthcare, vaccination coverage, and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene among other other essential health programmes and policies.
Yet the absolute number of deaths among children under five remained high, at an estimated 692,000 in 2023.
The report noted that global annual deaths have risen by 35.2 per cent between 1950 and 2023, driven largely by population growth and ageing.
Globally, the highest increases in deaths among adolescents and young adults (aged 20-39) were recorded in high-income North America between 2011 and 2023, driven by suicide, drug overdoses, and alcohol misuse. Deaths among 5-19-year-olds also rose in Eastern Europe, high-income North America, and the Caribbean.
Despite gains in longevity, the study noted global health inequalities. It observed, “While the global mean age at death increased from 46.4 in 1990 to 62.9 years in 2023, geographic inequities were profound. The highest mean age of death was recorded in the high-income super-region, with females reaching 80.5 years and males at 74.4 years. The lowest mean age of death was in sub-Saharan Africa, with females at 37.1 years and males at 34.8 years.”
Researchers estimate that nearly half of all death and disability could be prevented by modifying some of the leading risk factors, such as reducing high levels of blood sugar and high body mass index (BMI) such as obesity/overweight lost globally.
The report also identified sexual abuse and intimate partner violence as significant — and preventable — contributors to depression, anxiety, and other long-term health outcomes.
