Around the world, people are living longer but spending more of those years in poor health. Aging populations and the rise of chronic disease are increasing the burden on individuals, health systems, and economies. The result is a widening gap between lifespan and health span, with implications that extend far beyond healthcare.
The McKinsey Health Institute’s (MHI’s) report, “The health of nations: Stronger health, stronger economies,” examines this challenge and the opportunity it presents. It shows that scaling proven, cost-effective health interventions could substantially reduce the global burden of disease by 2050, adding years of healthy life while also strengthening labor force participation and economic productivity. In aggregate, better health could translate into substantial economic gains.
The health of nations: Stronger health, stronger economies
Read the full report here
This interactive allows users to explore the health and economic impacts underlying the report’s analysis. Use the data to examine potential gains in healthy life, reductions in disease burden, and improvements in economic output across countries, and to understand where investing in health could have the greatest potential impact on national prosperity.
This interactive experience was a collaborative effort by McKinsey Global Publishing: design by Stephen Landau; data visualization and development by Nayomi Chibana; editorial by Elizabeth Newman; project management by Mary Gayen.
The authors wish to thank Pooja Tatwawadi and Grail Dorling for their contributions to this report. The authors also wish to thank Alan Salih, Ananya Pramanik, Anas El Turabi, Anu Madgavkar, Carl Okunubi, Cary Mei, Cedric Tehranian, Christina Gupfinger, Claudia von Hammerstein, Connor Rochford, Danya Sbano, Emma Summerton, Eric Koskins, Erica Coe, Helena Cubas, Ian Lyons, Irina Zolotnitskaya, Javier Valenzuela, Jeffrey Algazy, Joachim Bleys, Kana Enomoto, Katherine Linzer, Kelsia Adil, Lars Hartenstein, Lucy Pérez, Magdalena Rojek, Maitham Albaharna, Marie-Renée B-Lajoie, Marino MB, Marc Canal, Mark Zaki, Matt Craven, Nicolas Abi-Chacra, Nur Amalina Ismail, Pedro Sousa Silva, Roxy Merkand, Sandya Ganesh, Sara Ristola, Sarah Pickard, Ulrich Bork, Unnati Mehta, and Vamsi Reddy for their contributions to this report.
The authors further wish to thank Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, including Charles Jonscher, Christopher J. L. Murray, Stephen Lim, and William Heisel for their contributions. The authors also wish to thank David M. Cutler, Debra A. Pinals, Henry Chung, Karen Hacker, Kristin-Anne Rutter, and Shekhar Saxena for their contributions.
Related Articles
The human advantage: Stronger brains in the age of AI
From potential to practical: Fueling performance with proven workplace health interventions
