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Bangladesh’s average life expectancy reached 72.7 years in 2023, higher than in neighbouring India and Pakistan, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The average life expectancy was 71 years in India and 68.2 years in Pakistan, the data showed.
In North America, life expectancy was higher, reaching 78.5 years in the United States and 81.4 years in Canada.
However, longer life expectancy does not necessarily mean people spend more years in good health. Healthy life expectancy remains lower than overall life expectancy in countries around the world.
The WHO published the latest figures on Friday, October 2.
The data showed that global life expectancy had almost returned to its pre-pandemic level in 2023. The global average stood at 73.3 years, compared with 73.4 years in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in global life expectancy, which fell to 71.5 years in 2021 due largely to the impact of the pandemic.
Alain Labrique, head of the WHO’s Department of Data, described the recovery in life expectancy as a major public health achievement.
He said the next challenge was to ensure that people not only live longer but also spend more of their additional years in good health.
