Global Study Finds Israelis Spend 11.7 Years Ill as Morbidity Gap Widens to 10.7 Years
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · Jul 25
Global Study Finds Israelis Spend 11.7 Years Ill as Morbidity Gap Widens to 10.7 Years
3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jul 25
Summary
Israel’s morbidity gap reached 11.7 years in 2023, meaning the average person can expect to spend more than a decade with illness, pain or disability.
The Lancet Public Health study found the global gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy widened to 10.7 years from 8.8 in 1990, as lifespans rose faster than healthy years.
203 of 204 countries saw the gap widen, and about 14.5% of life is now spent in less than full health; Israel’s gap is above the global average but below the 12.7-year high-income-country average.
Five disease groups drove 57.4% of the global gap in 2023, led by musculoskeletal disorders at 1.8 years and mental disorders at 1.6 years, with obesity, high blood sugar, smoking and air pollution among key risks.
Women showed a larger global gap than men—12.1 years versus 9.3—underscoring the study’s broader message that health systems must target function and disability, not just survival.