Revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being the World health statistics report 2025 published by WHO says in between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years reversing a decade of health gains.
Increased levels of anxiety and depression linked to COVID-19 reduced global healthy life expectancy by 6 weeks—erasing most of the gains made from lower mortality due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during the same period.
The report also summarizes global data on progress towards WHO’s triple billion targets, revealing impacts of not just the pandemic shock but also a longer trend of slowing progress starting before the pandemic, followed by a slower recovery since. WHO warns that overall progress is under threat and urgent global action is needed to get back on track.
“Behind every data point is a person—a child who didn’t reach their fifth birthday, a mother lost in childbirth, a life cut short by a preventable disease,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus adding “These are avoidable tragedies. Every government has a responsibility to act, with urgency, commitment, and accountability to the people they serve.”
The World health statistics 2025 report presents mixed progress towards WHO’s Triple Billion targets. An estimated 1.4 billion more people were living healthier by the end of 2024, surpassing the 1 billion target.
Without urgent course correction to meet the 2030 targets, the world risks losing the chance to prevent an additional 700 000 maternal deaths and 8 million under-5 deaths between 2024 and 2030.
Recovery in essential health services remains incomplete. A shortfall of 11.1 million health workers is still projected by 2030, with nearly 70% of the gap concentrated in the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
“This report shows that the world is failing its health checkup. But countries have shown that rapid progress is possible,” said Dr Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact.
