Despite the war, security situation and low public investment in the health system, Israel continues to show especially impressive results in international health indices. According to the OECD report for 2022-2023, life expectancy in Israel was 83.8 years, the fourth highest in the developed world, just behind Spain (84), Japan (84.1) and Switzerland (84.3). The results include those killed on October 7 and in the war in the rest of 2023. According to initial data gathered by the Ministry of Health, the trend remained similar in 2024.
Israeli investment in heath is 7.6% of GDP, compared with between 11%-12% in countries leading this index such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and compared with most other countries in the index, this figure has not increased in the last decade, except for a one-time rise during the Covid pandemic.
Despite this, the average Israeli results remain good for 2023. The main variables contributing to Israeli life expectancy are a low infant mortality rate, a lower mortality rate from heart disease, and successful treatment of cancer and strokes. Israel is among the countries with the lowest heart disease mortality rates in the OECD, and heart disease mortality has been consistently declining since 2015, despite trends of aging and obesity in the population.
An exceptional rise in life expectancy
The Ministry of Health says that like most OECD countries, Israel has also seen a gradual increase in life expectancy over the past decade, with a slight temporary decline and recovery after the Covid pandemic.
The data indicate a dramatic jump in life expectancy in Israel between 2022 and 2023 – almost a full year – for both women (from 84.8 to 85.7 years) and men (from 80.7 to 81.7 years).
This is an extraordinary increase that has been seen only in a limited number of countries, including the US, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia, and in most of these countries the decline during the Covid period was more dramatic than in Israel. In other words, while in the other countries mentioned the significant increase reflects a correction after a decline, in Israel it is also an improvement compared to 2019.
Israel ranks second after Switzerland in the lowest mortality rate from preventable causes (in the health sector) – 134 deaths per 100,000 people. This is a decrease from 170 deaths per 100,000 people from preventable health causes since 2010. The report stated that this figure reflects Israel’s success in promoting public health and primary prevention (factors such as screening tests and vaccinations) alongside quality life-saving health services.
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Where can Israel improve?
Smoking in Israel is still high relative to other OECD countries, resulting in 8,000 deaths per year. Although there is a downward trend in the rate of smokers, as in most OECD countries, the decline in Israel is modest and inconsistent. The Ministry of Health decided to add graphic warnings on cigarettes alongside the verbal warnings, as part of dealing with this trend.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, the medical division at the Ministry of Health, says, “The (health) system is facing many challenges, including the war over the last two years and the Covid pandemic, and yet it continues to make progress.”
Ministry of Health international relations division head Dr. Asher Shalmon says, “We see the continuation of the trend in which Israel has low spending and significant achievements. This is evidence of a very efficient and good health system, including its staff, but we will not rest on our laurels and will continue to work to improve the system.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on October 20, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
