Mortality rates among adolescents and young adults in Eastern Europe increased by 40% and 54% respectively between 2011 and 2023, according to a shocking study published in The Lancet.
A warning signal about the physical and mental health of young people in Europe and worldwide is being sent by the new scientific study Global Burden of Disease, published in the leading medical journal The Lancet. The study examines in depth the causes of premature deaths, diseases, disabilities, and life expectancy over a 35-year period — from 1990 to today — across 204 countries and regions, including Greece.
It was conducted by an international network of 16,500 scientists, using more than 300,000 data sources. Its findings were presented on Sunday, October 12, at the World Health Summit in Berlin. The study’s conclusions are mixed. On the positive side, since 2023, overall mortality rates have declined in all countries, and global life expectancy has recovered from the drop caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, researchers point to an “emerging global crisis,” with increasing mortality rates among adolescents and young adults. The causes vary — from alcohol use, suicides, and self-harm, particularly in developed countries, to infectious diseases and accidents in sub-Saharan Africa.
Alcohol, drugs, self-harm, and suicides increase youth mortality. Scientists warn that the study’s data should serve as an “alarm bell.” The study also found that chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, now account for two-thirds of all health problems, and that mental health disorders are rising rapidly.
Researchers estimated that half of the global burden of disease could be prevented, since it stems from risk factors that can be reduced — such as high blood pressure, air pollution, smoking, and obesity.
Life expectancy
The global average life expectancy is 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men — an increase of over 20 years since 1950, though with sharp geographic differences. For example, life expectancy in developed economies averages 83 years, while in sub-Saharan Africa it is just 62 years.
In Greece, life expectancy stands at 80 years (82.8 for women and 77.2 for men) — three years lower than the average for countries in the same high-income category.
Anxiety and depression plague young people
