Over the last 15 years, the number of childhood deaths has been cut in half. This proves that it is possible to win the fight against almost every disease. Still, we are spending an astonishing amount of money and resources on treating illnesses that are surprisingly easy to prevent. The new goal for worldwide Good Health promotes healthy lifestyles, preventive measures, and modern, efficient healthcare for everyone.
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Currently, the world is facing a global health crisis unlike any other — COVID-19 is spreading human suffering, destabilizing the global economy and upending the lives of billions of people around the globe.
The world map shows the latest data published by the United Nations for life expectancy.
Life expectancy is a measure of premature death and it shows large differences in health across the world.
The population of many of the richest countries in the world have life expectancies of over 80 years. In 2019 the life expectancy in Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Australia was over 83 years. In Japan it was the highest with close to 85 years.
In the countries with the worst health life expectancy is between 50 and 60 years. The population of the Central African Republic has the lowest life expectancy in 2019 with 53 years.
Use the slider below the map to see the change over time or click on any country to see the changing of life expectancy around the world.
Our health and well-being are influenced by the settings in which we live. By 2030, two-thirds of humanity will live in urban areas. Cities provide an excellent opportunity for local governments to protect and promote health at many levels. 23% of deaths are caused by pollution and environmental factors. In fact, more than 90% of the world is exposed to air quality levels that do not meet the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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This simpleshow explains the good health and well-being goals in a nutshell. This video was created by one of our volunteer authors to support the campaign "Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being"
In-depth analysis across a range of health-related topics can be found at the Our World in Data entries on:
The UN has defined 13 Targets and 28 Indicators for SDG 3. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
Good health is a precious thing. When we are healthy we can learn, work, and support ourselves and our families. When we are sick, we struggle, and our families and communities fall behind.
That’s why the World Health Organization is needed. Working with 194 Member States, across six regions, and from more than 150 offices, WHO staff are united in a shared commitment to achieve better health for everyone, everywhere.