World Statistics Day

 The analysis presented in this chapter of the World Health Statistics 2026 Report  is based on data available from the global monitoring of healthrelated SDG indicators as of March 2026. Data were compiled from publications and databases produced and managed by WHO or UN partner entities. The method used for each indicator is available from the cited references for the chapter. The data reference years for each indicator differ as data series are updated at different times and with different time lags between the data reference year and the publication year. Unless otherwise stated, the assessment of progress towards reaching a target is determined by whether the target will be met if the current average annual rate of change applies until the target year.

  The analysis presented in this chapter of the World Health Statistics 2026 Report is based on the W HO global excess mortality estimates associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and estimates on lifeexpectancy and HALE by region and sex . The global excess mortality estimates were produced using data from multiple sources, including national vital registration data compiled from various repositories as well as all-causes mortality estimates from the UN Inter-agencyGroup for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) 2023 (1) for children younger than 15 years and the global health estimates 2021 (2) for adults older than 15 years. A summary of the methods used to derive the estimates can be accessed online (3). The methods were developed with the support of and guidance from the Technical Advisory Group onCOVID-19 Mortality Assessment (from 1 February 2021 to 31 December 2025) (4). All external experts submitted to WHO a declaration of interest disclosing potential conflicts of int...

The analysis presented in this chapter of the World Health Statistics 2026 Report is based on the WHO Mortality Database as of January 2026, which includes deaths registered in national vital registration systems, with underlying cause of death as coded by the relevant national authority. These data are official national statistics in the sense that they have been transmitted to WHO by the competent authorities of the countries concerned (6). The completeness figures draw on analysis of the global health estimates 2023 which is explained in Chapter 2. The country stories were prepared in collaboration with WHO regional offices, WHO country offices and government officials.  

''The World health statistics report is the annual compilation of health and health-related indicators, which has been published by the World Health Organization since 2005. The 2026 edition of the World Health Statistics consolidates data for health-related indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals. It assesses progress towards the globally agreed targets, describes key challenges for the years ahead and includes reviews on global health topics such as healthy life expectancy and premature mortality, the Triple Billion targets, and inequalities in immunization.'' WHO Team on Data; Digital Health; Analytics and AI (DDA) Forward by the Director-General of the World Health Organization. The World Health Statistics report provides the most comprehensive annual assessment of global health trends available to WHO Member States and the broader international health community. Over the past two decades, sustained national and multilateral commitments have delivered maj...