As well as being a major risk factor for chronic diseases, alcohol consumption has a high financial cost to society. The OECD estimates that diseases and injuries caused by drinking above 1 drink a day for women and 1.5 drink a day for men incur medical costs equal to about 2.4% of total health expenditure each year. Combined with the impact on labour force productivity, it is estimated that GDP will be 1.6% lower on average in OECD countries annually over the next 30 years due to harmful alcohol consumption.
Improving public health
In recent years, unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, alcohol use and other risk factors have spread widely in OECD countries, leading to diseases and death. To tackle these problems, countries must build robust public health systems and consider approaches aimed at improving the health of the entire population.
Key messages
Excess weight, unhealthy diet and insufficient physical activity are major risk factors that can lead to many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These diseases have a detrimental effect on population health, the economy and wellbeing. The OECD analyses the impact of risk factors on life expectancy, premature mortality, health spending, workforce productivity and wider societal well-being, to help governments make the case for investing in prevention.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the ability of microbes such as bacteria and viruses, to resist antimicrobials – remains a key threat to population health and economies globally, overburdening health systems and exerting pressure on the economy. OECD analysis has found that fighting AMR requires embracing a One Health framework, an approach that promotes coordinated policy action across human, animal and plant health, agri-food systems, and the environment.
Context
Chronic conditions are on the rise
Chronic conditions such as cancer, chronic respiratory problems and diabetes are not only the leading causes of death across OECD countries but can also lead to major disability among the living. Many chronic conditions are preventable, by modifying major risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, obesity and physical inactivity. More than one-third of people aged 16 and over reported living with a longstanding illness or health problem on average across 24 OECD countries in 2021. This figure ranges from more than one in two in Finland to just under one in four in Italy. As populations age, the prevalence of chronic conditions – including multimorbidity – rises.
Smoking
Smoking is a leading cause of multiple diseases, including some cancers, heart attacks, strokes and respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco smoking kills 8 million people in the world every year.
Across OECD countries, 15.9% of people aged 15 and over smoked tobacco daily in 2021. Smoking rates ranged from over 25% in France and Türkiye to below 10% in Iceland, Costa Rica, Norway, Mexico, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Sweden. Although daily smoking rates have decreased in most OECD countries over the past decade, regular use of e-cigarette products (vaping) is on the rise.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol use is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, particularly among those of working age. High alcohol intake is a major risk factor for heart diseases and strokes, liver cirrhosis and certain cancers, but even low and moderate alcohol consumption increases the long-term risk of these diseases.
Measured through sales data, overall alcohol consumption averaged an equivalent of 8.6 litres of pure alcohol per person across OECD countries in 2021, down from 8.9 litres in 2011. Latvia and Lithuania reported the highest consumption in 2021 (over 12 litres per person), followed by Czechia, Estonia and Austria – all with over 11 litres per person.
Obesity and being overweight
Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for various non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.
In most OECD countries that collect self-reported body height and weight data, more than half of adults were overweight or obese. On average across 32 OECD countries, 54% of the adult population were overweight or obese, and 18% were obese in 2021. Men were more likely than women to be overweight or obese in all countries. The gender gap was particularly large in Luxembourg, Germany and Czechia (a difference of about 20 percentage points).
