Greeks Live Longer but Spend More Years in Poor Health

People in Greece and around the world are living longer than ever, but they are also spending more of those additional years coping with chronic illness and disability, according to a major new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, published in The Lancet Public Health.

Researchers found that the global “healthspan gap”—the number of years people live in poor health—increased across almost every country between 1990 and 2023.

Longer Lives, But Not Healthier Ones

Global life expectancy at birth rose from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 years in 2023. During the same period, healthy life expectancy increased from 55.9 years to 63.1 years.

However, because overall life expectancy grew faster than healthy life expectancy, people are now spending more years living with chronic diseases, disabilities and long-term health conditions.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reduced both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, researchers found that it did not reverse the long-term trend.

The average global healthspan gap increased from 8.8 years in 1990 to 10.7 years in 2023—an increase of nearly 22%. In 2023, people spent an average of 14.5% of their lives in poor health, compared with 13.6% three decades earlier.

Researchers also found that poor health increasingly affects adults throughout much of their lives, rather than only during old age.

Greece Records Similar Trend

In Greece, the healthspan gap increased from 10 years in 1990 to 11.9 years in 2023, representing an increase of 1.9 years, or approximately 18%.

Greeks now spend around 14.7% of their lives living with poor health, compared with 13% in 1990.

Professor Simon I. Hay, one of the study’s authors, said Greece sits close to the middle of Western European countries.

The country’s figures are similar to Germany, where people spend 11.9 years in poor health. France records 12.5 years, the United Kingdom 12.7 years and the Netherlands 12.9 years, while Italy stands at 11.8 years and Spain at 12.1 years.

Wealthier Countries Face Larger Healthspan Gaps

The study found that countries with longer life expectancy often experience larger periods of poor health.

In 2023, the United States recorded the world’s largest healthspan gap at 14 years, followed by Australia with 13.9 years and Canada with 13.7 years.

By contrast, sub-Saharan Africa recorded the smallest gap at nine years.

Researchers said wealthier nations generally enjoy longer lives but also experience more years affected by chronic, non-fatal illnesses.

Chronic Conditions Drive the Trend

Across Europe, the largest contributors to years lived with disability include:

• Lower back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders
• Depression and anxiety
• Age-related hearing loss
• Falls among older adults

Major preventable risk factors include high blood sugar, obesity and smoking.

Women Live Longer But Spend More Years in Poor Health

The study found that women consistently outlive men across all regions of the world but also spend more years living with illness.

In 2023, women experienced an average healthspan gap of 12.1 years, compared with 9.3 years for men.

Greater Focus on Prevention Needed

Researchers concluded that ageing populations require stronger investment in preventing chronic diseases, delaying disability and expanding access to rehabilitation, mental health services and long-term care.

They noted that many of the conditions contributing to years spent in poor health are preventable or can be managed more effectively through earlier intervention and healthier lifestyles.

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