Factors associated with changes in DALYs in five Asian health systems, 2000-2019
Sungchul Park1, Jianchao Quan2, Cynthia Chen3
1Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea; L-HOPE Program for Community-Based Total Learning Health Systems, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Health Policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|April 1, 2026
Summary
Population aging and growth are the main drivers of increased disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in Asia. Despite this, improvements in disease management are reducing DALYs per disease case.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Gerontology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asia faces a growing disease burden due to rapid population aging.
- Limited research exists on the specific drivers of changes in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze factors contributing to DALY changes in China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.
- To examine DALY trends between 2000 and 2019.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis using Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 data.
- Decomposition of DALY changes into population size, age-sex structure, disease incidence, and severity.
Main Results:
- Total DALYs increased across all studied Asian locations from 2000-2019.
- Population aging was the primary driver (33.6%), followed by population growth (15.3%).
- Non-communicable diseases increased, while injuries and communicable diseases decreased; DALYs per disease case significantly decreased (-29.4%).
Conclusions:
- Population aging and growth are key factors increasing DALYs in these Asian societies.
- Decreasing DALYs per disease case indicate improved disease management.
- Continued focus on interventions is vital due to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.
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