The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released an insight report titled "The Longevity Dividend: The Business Case for Linking Health and Wealth," which argues that three low-cost preventive health measures could save global healthcare systems more than USD 5.8 trillion and generate an additional USD 645 billion in productivity by 2040. The measures include making homes safer to prevent falls, increasing physical activity, and expanding access to hearing aids.
Simple Interventions, Massive Savings
According to the report, "Three low-tech interventions could save the world's healthcare systems upwards of USD 5.8 trillion and unlock another USD 645 billion in productivity by 2040." The interventions are described as "low-cost, data-verified and ready to deploy now." The key challenge, the report states, is for "governments, employers and financial institutions to stop treating physical and financial health as separate domains."
Fall-Proofing Homes: The Largest Savings
The largest savings are projected to come from preventing falls among older adults through inexpensive home modifications. The WEF estimates that "fall-proofing the world's homes with low-tech solutions, such as rug tape, stair lighting and grab bars, would spare global healthcare systems USD 5.4 trillion by 2040, while requiring an initial outlay of less than USD 400 billion." This represents a significant return on investment, with every dollar spent potentially saving over 13 dollars in healthcare costs.
Physical Activity to Combat Diabetes
The report also highlights the economic benefits of increasing physical activity to reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes, particularly in countries experiencing rapid demographic change. It notes that "younger" economies such as Nigeria, Indonesia, and Vietnam are seeing ageing populations emerge alongside rising diabetes rates, making preventive action even more valuable. The report does not provide a specific dollar figure for this intervention but emphasizes its importance in the context of global health trends.
Expanding Access to Hearing Aids
Expanding access to hearing aids offers benefits well beyond improving hearing. The report states, "Yet preventing dementia need not be the primary reason for promoting hearing aid use. Singling out the high returns from dementia reduction alone establishes the significance of looking beyond primary use cases and factoring in knock-on benefits when building the business case for health interventions." Globally, the report estimates that around 400 million people could benefit from hearing aids, yet fewer than 20 percent currently have access. Wider adoption would not only improve quality of life but also reduce healthcare costs by lowering dementia cases and other health risks associated with untreated hearing loss.
Economic Opportunity of the Next Two Decades
The report concludes that longevity should no longer be viewed simply as a challenge posed by ageing populations. Instead, it says addressing health and wealth together represents "one of the most consequential, addressable and underestimated economic opportunities of the next two decades," with preventive interventions capable of delivering significant long-term returns for governments, businesses, and households. The WEF urges a shift in mindset, treating preventive healthcare as an economic investment rather than a cost.
