
Despite the war, the security situation and low public investment in the health system, Israel continues to show particularly impressive results in international health indicators. According to the OECD report for the years 2022-2023, the average life expectancy in Israel reached 83.8 years, which is the fourth highest in the developed world, 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 preliminary data collected by the Ministry of Health, the trend remained similar in 2024.
Israeli investment in health amounts to 7.6% of GDP, compared to between 11% and 12% in the leading countries on this index, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Compared to most other countries in the index, this number has not increased in the past decade, with the exception of a one-time rise during the Covid pandemic.
Despite this, average Israeli results remain good for 2023. The main variables that contribute to life expectancy in Israel are a low infant mortality rate, a low death rate from heart disease, and successful treatment of cancer and strokes. Israel is among the countries with the lowest rates of heart disease mortality in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the rate of deaths from heart disease has declined continuously since 2015, despite aging and obesity trends in the population.
Exceptionally high life expectancy
The Health Ministry 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 indicates a significant jump in life expectancy in Israel between 2022 and 2023 – nearly 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 only been seen in a limited number of countries, including the United States, 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 the significant increase in the other countries mentioned reflects a correction after a decline, in Israel it also represents an improvement compared to 2019.
Israel ranks second after Switzerland in the lowest rate of deaths from preventable causes (in the health sector) – 134 deaths per 100,000 people. This is down from 170 deaths per 100,000 people from preventable health causes since 2010. The report said this figure reflects Israel’s success in promoting public health and primary prevention (factors such as screening tests and vaccinations) along with high-quality, life-saving health services.
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Where can Israel improve?
Smoking in Israel remains high compared to other OECD countries, resulting in 8,000 deaths annually. Although there is a downward trend in the proportion of smokers, as in most OECD countries, the decline in Israel is modest and inconsistent. The Ministry of Health decided to add pictorial warnings to cigarettes in addition to verbal warnings, as part of dealing with this trend.
Dr. Hajar Mizrahi, Medical Department at the Ministry of Health, says, “The (health) system faces many challenges, including war over the past two years and the Covid pandemic, and yet it continues to make progress.”
The head of the International Relations Department at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Asher Shalmon: “We see a continuation of the trend in which Israel is witnessing low spending and high achievements. This is evidence of a very effective 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 Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
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