Gitnux/Report 2026

Longevity Statistics

Healthcare is a staggering $3.6% of global GDP in low income countries versus 15.3% in the United States and 14.8% in France, yet the funding for the longevity pipeline is smaller than most people expect with just 8.0% of health spending going to health R and D in 2021. See how the mix of long term care costs, survival gains, and emerging tech markets like AI in healthcare and digital therapeutics helps explain both the opportunity and the bottlenecks for living longer with better health.
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Longevity Statistics
Megan GallagherWritten by Megan Gallagher·Edited by Katherine Brennan·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Last verified May 14, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Nov 2026
Longevity is being reshaped by spending and outcomes, but the split is surprisingly uneven. Global health R&D took 8.0% of health spending in 2021, while total healthcare consumption is far broader, with the US at 6.3% of GDP in 2022 and low-income countries at just 3.6% of global GDP in healthcare in the same period. As the care burden grows with 1.5 billion people aged 65+ projected by 2050, these funding and survival metrics start to reveal where progress is accelerating and where it still lags.

Key Takeaways

  • 8.0% global health spending share spent on health R&D in 2021
  • $2.7 trillion global long-term care spending in 2019 (latest global estimate widely cited by OECD)
  • 6.3% of GDP spent on healthcare in the United States in 2022
  • 1.5 billion people aged 65+ worldwide in 2050 projected by UN
  • 11.3% share of global population aged 65+ in 2019
  • US life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years in 2022 (CDC)
  • In-hospital mortality for heart failure was 4.3% in 2022 (AHA/NCDB)
  • Cancer 5-year relative survival rate was 67% (US, 2015-2019, NCI SEER)
  • Breast cancer 5-year relative survival was 91% (US, 2015-2019, NCI SEER)
  • Australia life expectancy at birth was 84.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)
  • UK life expectancy at birth was 81.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)
  • In the US, 73% of adults have used health information online (Pew Research Center, 2019)
  • US FDA approved 77 drug approvals in 2022 (CDER annual report)
  • US FDA approved 55 new molecular entities/BLAs in 2021 (FDA CDER)
  • Per-capita healthcare spending in Switzerland was $10,381 (current US$) in 2022 (World Bank)

Spending and longevity tech are rising fast, while heart disease, cancer, and dementia still drive major deaths.

Related reading

01 · Category

Market Size21 stats

01
8.0% global health spending share spent on health R&D in 2021
02
$2.7 trillion global long-term care spending in 2019 (latest global estimate widely cited by OECD)
03
6.3% of GDP spent on healthcare in the United States in 2022
04
15.3% of GDP spent on healthcare in Germany in 2022
05
14.8% of GDP spent on healthcare in France in 2022
06
3.6% of total global GDP spent on healthcare in low-income countries in 2022
07
$7,954per capita current health expenditure in the United States in 2021
08
$4,324per capita current health expenditure (PPP) in Germany in 2021
09
$3,944per capita current health expenditure (PPP) in France in 2021
10
$3.0 trillion global spending on healthcare IT services in 2022
11
$90.0 billion global market size for remote patient monitoring in 2023 (forecast)
12
$27.9 billion global market size for senior care services in 2022 (forecast)
13
$13.6 billion global market size for assisted living services in 2022 (forecast)
14
$4.1 billion global market size for home healthcare services in 2022 (forecast)
15
$15.0 billion global market size for wearable devices in healthcare in 2023 (forecast)
16
$21.7 billion global market size for longevity market services in 2023 (market estimate)
17
$19.4 billion global market size for the geriatric care market in 2021 (forecast)
18
$54.5 billion global market size for anti-aging products in 2023
19
$2.7 billion global market size for telerehabilitation in 2023 (forecast)
20
$2.9 billion global market size for AI in healthcare in 2020; $99.6 billion forecast by 2030
21
$55.2 billion global market size for digital therapeutics in 2022; $251.7 billion forecast by 2032
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

The market size data shows rapid expansion across health and longevity services, with global spending rising from $90.0 billion for remote patient monitoring in 2023 to $21.7 billion for longevity market services in 2023 and even larger long-term growth forecasts like AI in healthcare expanding from $2.9 billion in 2020 to $99.6 billion by 2030.

03 · Category

Performance Metrics12 stats

01
In-hospital mortality for heart failure was 4.3% in 2022 (AHA/NCDB)
02
Cancer 5-year relative survival rate was 67% (US, 2015-2019, NCI SEER)
03
Breast cancer 5-year relative survival was 91% (US, 2015-2019, NCI SEER)
04
In the US, 1-year survival for localized prostate cancer exceeded 99% (SEER)
05
Strokes mortality in the US was 133.5 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022 (CDC)
06
Ischemic heart disease death rate was 113.9 per 100,000 population in 2022 (CDC)
07
Blood pressure control (treated and at goal) among US adults was 52% in 2017-2018 (CDC/NCHS)
08
Average waiting time for elective treatment in England was 7.9 weeks in 2023-24 (NHS England)
09
UK delayed transfers of care averaged 22,000 patients in March 2024 (NHS England)
10
Median age at death in the US was 77.0 years in 2022 (NCHS)
11
Life expectancy gains: global life expectancy at birth increased from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.0 years in 2019 (UN/World)
12
Global premature mortality from non-communicable diseases accounted for 37% of NCD deaths under age 70 (WHO GHO)
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Across major performance metrics for health outcomes, survival and care quality show strong variation, with breast cancer 5-year relative survival at 91% and localized prostate cancer 1-year survival above 99% contrasting sharply with higher population-level burdens like ischemic heart disease at 113.9 deaths per 100,000 and strokes at 133.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2022.

More related reading

04 · Category

User Adoption11 stats

01
Australia life expectancy at birth was 84.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)
02
UK life expectancy at birth was 81.3 years in 2022 (World Bank)
03
In the US, 73% of adults have used health information online (Pew Research Center, 2019)
04
In the US, 38% of adults track health or fitness data using devices/apps (Pew Research Center, 2023)
05
In the US, 49% of adults say they have a wearable device used for fitness/health (Pew Research Center, 2023)
06
In Germany, 41% of people used online medical information in 2022 (Eurobarometer)
07
In the EU, 46% of people used the internet to find medical information in 2022 (Eurobarometer)
08
In the UK, 14.9% of people used digital health tools in the last 12 months (NHS)
09
In the US, 60% of adults report taking dietary supplements in 2017-2018 (NIH NHANES)
10
$1.64 billion global market for direct-to-consumer longevity testing in 2023 (forecast)
11
BioTech funding for aging/longevity-focused startups reached $5.5B in 2021 (Dealroom)
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

User adoption is surging from information seeking to active self tracking, with 73% of US adults using health information online and 38% tracking fitness or health data with devices or apps, alongside strong momentum in wearable and testing markets like a $1.64 billion direct to consumer longevity testing forecast for 2023.

05 · Category

Cost Analysis5 stats

01
US FDA approved 77 drug approvals in 2022 (CDER annual report)
02
US FDA approved 55 new molecular entities/BLAs in 2021 (FDA CDER)
03
Per-capita healthcare spending in Switzerland was $10,381(current US$) in 2022 (World Bank)
04
Per-capita healthcare spending in India was $2,041(current US$ PPP) in 2022 (World Bank)
05
UK NHS cost of a hospital bed day averaged £485 in 2022-23 (NHS Reference Costs)
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a Cost Analysis perspective, the sharp disparity in per-capita healthcare spending from Switzerland at $10,381 in 2022 to India at $2,041 in PPP terms, alongside the UK NHS average bed day cost of £485, suggests that the same drug or treatment availability gains can translate into very different system-level costs depending on country spending levels.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Longevity Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/longevity-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Longevity Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/longevity-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Longevity Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/longevity-statistics.

Sources & references

59 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

apps.who.intoecd-ilibrary.orgdata.worldbank.orggartner.comgrandviewresearch.combusinesswire.comalliedmarketresearch.comprecedenceresearch.comidc.comfortunebusinessinsights.commarketsandmarkets.comresearchandmarkets.comun.orgcdc.govghoapi.azureedge.netwho.intpitchbook.comheart.orgseer.cancer.govengland.nhs.ukpewresearch.orgeuropa.eunhs.ukods.od.nih.govglobenewswire.comdealroom.cofda.govimprovement.nhs.ukourworldindata.org

+30 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)