Singapore Ranks First Globally in Life Expectancy but Years Lived with Illness Extend to 11.2 Years

Study: Singapore Ranks First Globally in Life Expectancy but Years Lived with Illness Extend to 11.2 Years

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Information source:

研究：新加坡人均寿命冠全球 但“带病生活”时间拉长至11.2年

2026-07-22

https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260722-9403794?utm_source=android-share&utm_medium=app

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Singaporeans not only have the world's highest life expectancy but also the world's longest healthy life expectancy. However, as the population lives longer, the number of years people spend living with illness is also increasing. Although women live longer than men, they also spend more years living with illness.

A global study led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in the United States, in collaboration with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS), found that Singapore's life expectancy reached 85.4 years in 2023, while healthy life expectancy stood at 74.1 years, ranking first in the world for both measures.

However, the gap between the two—known as the "health burden gap"—has widened to 11.2 years, an increase of 2.3 years from 8.9 years in 1990, representing a 26.6% rise, which is higher than the global average increase of 21.9%.

The health burden gap refers to the difference between a person's life expectancy and healthy life expectancy—that is, the average number of years a person is expected to live with illness, disability, or poor health before the end of life.

The study analyzed data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023. It found that the health burden gap widened in 203 of the 204 countries and territories. Because life expectancy has increased faster than healthy life expectancy, the global average number of years lived with illness has risen from 8.8 years to 10.7 years.

The study was published on Wednesday (July 22) in the international medical journal The Lancet Public Health.

Associate Professor Marie Ng , Director of the Global Burden of Disease Centre at the Health Statistics and Evaluation Research Institute under the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said that the widening health burden gap reflects the fact that living longer does not necessarily mean that every additional year is spent in good health. Singapore's next challenge is not only to extend lifespan but also to reduce the burden of chronic diseases, disability, and physical decline, helping Singaporeans maintain good health and independent living as they age.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Rank First; High Blood Sugar Becomes the Top Risk Factor

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Local women not only live longer than men but also spend more years living with illness. In 2023, women's life expectancy in Singapore was estimated at 87.5 years, compared with 83.1 years for men. However, women spent an average of 12.1 years in poor health, compared with 10.4 years for men—a difference of about 1.7 years. This is consistent with the globally observed "gender health paradox," in which women generally live longer but experience more years of illness and disability.

The diseases contributing most to Singapore's health burden gap are, in order, musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, unintentional injuries, sensory disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The top five risk factors are high fasting blood glucose, high Body Mass Index (BMI), occupational risks, high systolic blood pressure, and dietary risks.

These findings indicate that Singapore should continue strengthening the prevention and management of diabetes, metabolic diseases, obesity, hypertension, unhealthy diets, work-related health risks, mental health issues, falls, hearing loss, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Associate Professor Marie Ng pointed out that many of the diseases contributing to the health burden gap are not directly fatal, but they can severely affect a person's ability to live independently, work, and maintain a good quality of life. Continuously monitoring healthy life expectancy and the health burden gap can help policymakers identify areas where greater resources should be invested.

Reported by Veron Ng Ying Chuan