Our Bodies, Our Limits: A Global Look at Health Hurdles

What keeps you from doing the things people your age normally do? Researchers asked this simple but powerful question to over 200,000 people across 22 countries to understand how health problems limit daily life around the world. The study, part of the Global Flourishing Study, found that on average, about one in five people (21%) face such limitations.

“Our physical abilities are shaped not just by age, but by where we live, our level of education, and our life circumstances.”

However, this number varies dramatically from place to place. In the Philippines, the rate was as high as 34%, while in Poland, it was only 13%. The United Kingdom and Germany also reported high rates, while countries like Nigeria and Kenya reported some of the lowest. Unsurprisingly, age was a major factor.

People over 70 were three times more likely to have a health limitation than those under 30. The study also found that people with fewer years of education, those who were widowed or retired, and women generally reported more limitations than their counterparts. These findings paint a global picture of how our physical abilities are shaped not just by age, but also by where we live, our level of education, and our life circumstances. It shows that the ability to participate fully in life is not equally distributed, highlighting a key challenge to global well-being.