Overall health perception of adults worldwide 2023, by country

A survey from 2023 of 39 countries around the world found that adults from Indonesia were the most likely to report they were very healthy or healthy with almost 96 percent of respondents. Vietnam and Mexico followed with around 93 percent of adults in these countries stating they were very healthy or healthy. Among the countries that were surveyed, Nigeria, Poland, and Chile, were the least likely to report being healthy.

Factors for good health

Unsurprisingly, this survey also found that Indonesia was more likely to positively report different health factors such as fitness and weight. Around 94 percent of adults from Indonesia reported their weight and fitness as very good or quite good. In comparison, around 64 percent of adults from the United States stated their weight was very good or quite good. However, those from Paraguay were the most likely to report their stress level/mental health was very good or quite good, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam. Around 97 percent of adults from Paraguay felt their stress level/mental health was very good or quite good, compared to just 36 percent of those in Argentina, the lowest share among the surveyed countries. 

Biggest global health problems

A survey of over 23,000 adults from 31 countries found mental health was the biggest health problem respondents said was facing their country in 2024. This was followed by cancer, stress, and obesity. Interestingly, only 16 percent of respondents stated heart disease was the biggest health problem in their country, despite heart disease being the leading cause of death worldwide. In 2021, ischemic heart disease caused just over nine million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 was the second leading cause of death that year, with 8.7 million people losing their lives to the disease. Other global leading causes of death are stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lower respiratory infections, and lung cancer.