A new global report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights how social determinants of health—such as housing, education, and job opportunities—are drastically reducing life expectancy worldwide. The 2025 World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity reveals that people in the lowest-ranked country for life expectancy live, on average, 33 years shorter than those in the highest-ranked nation.
Social Inequities Driving Health Disparities
The report underscores that health outcomes are shaped more by social conditions than by genetics or access to healthcare. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that where people are born, grow, live, and work significantly impacts their well-being.
Health inequities follow a social gradient, meaning that lower-income populations experience poorer health and shorter lifespans. Indigenous communities, for example, consistently face lower life expectancy rates than non-Indigenous populations, regardless of a country’s income level.
Missed Targets and Widening Gaps
The report warns that global health equity targets set for 2040 are unlikely to be met. WHO data shows that children born in poorer nations are 13 times more likely to die before age five than those in wealthier countries. Additionally, while maternal mortality has declined 40% since 2000, low-income countries still account for 94% of maternal deaths.
Urgent Call for Action
WHO urges governments, civil society, and the private sector to take collective action to address income inequality, structural discrimination, and climate disruptions. Climate change alone is expected to push up to 135 million people into extreme poverty over the next five years.
The report calls for:
- Investments in social infrastructure and universal public services.
- Policies to combat discrimination and forced migration.
- Climate action strategies that promote health equity.
- Governance reforms to ensure resources reach the most vulnerable communities.
