Longer life expectancy is widely seen as one of society’s greatest achievements. Yet it comes with an increasingly costly downside: more people are spending years, and sometimes decades, living with chronic diseases.
A new report by Zurich Insurance Group highlights the growing economic and financial implications of this trend. The study, «The Value of Chronic Care», analyzes more than 200 chronic conditions across all 38 OECD countries between 2014 and 2023.
Its central conclusion is that chronic disease is fundamentally changing the nature of financial risk. As premature deaths decline and people live longer with conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders and neurological diseases, the financial impact is shifting from one-off events to sustained and uncertain exposure over time.
A New Risk Equation
The consequences extend well beyond rising healthcare costs. Chronic illness can affect an individual’s ability to work, maintain an income and remain financially independent, while also placing additional pressure on families and caregivers.
