Healthy Life Expectancy Declines Again
Years spent in good health have dropped to their lowest level since comparable data were first collected in 2011 to 2013, with stark regional gaps across the UK.
www.medscape.comHere are the latest credible updates on healthy life expectancy (HLE).
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UK data: Fresh ONS figures show a continuing decline in healthy life expectancy across the UK for the 2022–2024 period, reaching historically low levels and widening regional gaps. Male and female HLE at birth are around the low 60s, down several months to years since the previous period, indicating more years lived in poorer health than in earlier years. These trends are part of a broader pattern of the pandemic’s long-term effects on population health.[1][2]
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Global context: The World Health Organization reports slower gains in global health and that COVID-19 disrupted progress on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. The 2025 World Health Statistics highlights a notable dip in HALE (healthy life expectancy) due to increased mental health burdens and non-communicable disease risk factors, even as some regions see modest improvements in overall survival.[6][9]
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UK and policy implications: Health foundations and public health groups argue that the observed declines reflect preventable risk factors and inequality. They call for stronger investment in public health, prevention, and lifestyle interventions to close gaps and extend healthy life years, particularly for vulnerable groups.[2][4]
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Related indicators: National statistical offices emphasize that measuring HLE adds nuance beyond life expectancy by capturing the quality of health during years lived. This local-level understanding helps planners allocate resources to areas with the largest expected gains in healthy years.[5]
Illustration: A concise takeaway is that, in many high-income settings today, people can expect fewer extra years in good health even as overall life expectancy rises, underscoring a need for preventive health measures, healthier lifestyles, and health system resilience to extend healthy years.[1][6]
If you’d like, I can pull the most current national figures for your country or region (e.g., UK, Portugal) and summarize them in a brief chart. Also, I can compare healthy life expectancy trends across several high-income countries to show where progress is being made or lagging.