Healthy life expectancy in Estonia drops to 57.3 years, hitting younger groups hardest

Estonia's healthy life expectancy at birth fell to 57.3 years in 2023, reverting to 2021–2022 levels. The decline was most pronounced among younger age groups and non-Estonians, according to Statistics Estonia.

Estonia's healthy life expectancy at birth stood at 57.3 years in 2023, marking a decline that has pushed the figure back to levels last seen in 2021–2022, Statistics Estonia announced. The indicator measures the average number of years a person can expect to live in good health from birth.

The drop has not been evenly distributed across the population. Younger Estonians and non-Estonian residents experienced a steeper decrease in healthy years compared to older age groups, raising concerns about the long-term health trajectory of working-age and younger demographics in the country.

Statistics Estonia did not provide a single cause for the decline, but the trend points to persistent health challenges among minority communities and younger cohorts that may require targeted public health responses. Estonia has in recent years invested in preventive healthcare initiatives, yet the latest figures suggest those efforts have yet to reverse the broader downward trend in healthy life expectancy.