The Lancet series: Improving men's health in a changing world (31 October 2026)

Summary

Many men are failing to thrive. Shorter life expectancies for men than for woman first emerged in the 19th century and the gap has continued to widen (albeit with geographical variations). Men have a higher burden of illness: global disability-adjusted life-years are 16% greater among men than women. The primary drivers of these differences include non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes), external causes (suicide, road traffic injuries, falls, and interpersonal violence), communicable diseases (respiratory infections, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis), and substance use (alcohol-related and drug-related harms).

Suicide rates are higher in men than women, and suicide is a leading cause of death in men younger than 50 years. For boys and younger men, the situation is particularly acute; poor educational performance together with growing employment uncertainty tied to economic instability is seriously impacting their health and wellbeing.

To understand why boys and men are struggling and to discern how to improve matters, The Lancet has published a Series on men's health.

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