Global study sounds alarm over rising deaths among young adults worldwide

While global life expectancy is improving, deaths among young people are also rising because of accidents, mental health issues, and preventable causes

A new Lancet analysis has revealed a troubling paradox: while global life expectancy is recovering, deaths among teenagers and young adults are rising at an alarming pace, prompting experts to label it an emerging global health crisis.

 

Life expectancy rebounds

The study reviewed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 project, which is coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The GBD brings together findings from over 300,000 data sources and involves more than 16,500 researchers across 204 countries.

 

Globally, life expectancy has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels at about 76 years for women and 71 years for men. However, this recovery is uneven. In high-income countries, people now live well into their 80s, while in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, average life expectancy is still around 62 years.

 

 

Youth mortality rising

While death rates are falling for most age groups, the trend is slowing and in some regions even reversing for adolescents and young adults aged between 10 and 29 years.

 

The study, titled ‘Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950–2023: a demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023’, reported “very marked increases” in deaths among young people.

 

For girls and women aged 15 to 29, the death rate was found to be 61 per cent higher than earlier estimates, mainly due to pregnancy and childbirth complications, road accidents, and meningitis.

 

“The evidence presented in the Global Burden of Disease study is a wake-up call, urging government and healthcare leaders to respond swiftly and strategically to the disturbing trends that are reshaping public health needs,” said Dr Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington’s school of medicine.   

Underlying risk factors

The study points to a range of modifiable risks that are fuelling this growing health emergency: 

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke now account for nearly two-thirds of deaths globally.

Mental health disorders: Anxiety disorders have risen by 63 per cent, while depressive disorders are up by 26 per cent.

Behavioural factors: Smoking, alcohol and drug misuse, obesity, poor diet, and air pollution remain major contributors.

Social pressures: Stress, unemployment, and social media influence are increasing rates of self-harm and suicide in wealthier nations.

Weak health systems: In lower-income countries, underfunded primary care and limited health access make preventable deaths more likely.

 

“Is this social media? Are these [electronic] devices? Is this broader social trends on parenting? We know it was made worse by Covid. So there’s a lot of controversy, I’d say, in the psychiatric epidemiology and general social commentary about the causes around mental health. And so that’s a problem for coming up with solutions,” shared Dr Murray.

 

Regional differences

North America and parts of Latin America: Drug overdoses, alcohol misuse, suicide, and mental health disorders, especially among young women.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Infectious diseases, road injuries, maternal deaths (complications in pregnancy or childbirth), and meningitis.

Eastern Europe and conflict-affected regions: Increased mortality among children and teenagers (ages 5–19), linked to war, displacement and social instability.

 

In low-income settings, limited access to healthcare and poor vaccination coverage worsen these outcomes, the report notes. The authors also caution that shrinking international aid and fragile healthcare systems could reverse hard-won progress in many regions.

 

Integrated health systems

Health experts call for systems that are designed specifically for adolescents and young adults, combining mental health, sexual and reproductive care, and injury prevention within primary healthcare services.

“Health is the most powerful investment in this, and integrated care is the key, when we face the triple burden of cost of living, rising non-communicable diseases and communicable disease outbreaks, and climate change,” said Dr Githinji Gitahi, chief executive of Amref Health Africa.

 

• Enforce stronger regulations on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
• Invest in mental health support, including early intervention programmes in schools and communities.
• Promote healthier diets and active lifestyles.
• Strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare to prevent early deaths among young women.
• Improve data collection and youth-specific mortality tracking.
• Stronger death registration systems and better disaggregated data to help identify which populations are most at risk.

 

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This report is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.