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Simple, low-cost health interventions could prevent millions of chronic conditions and deliver trillions in savings by 2040, according to a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report.

The study, The Longevity Dividend: The Business Case for Linking Health and Wealth, developed with Marsh, finds that three basic measures – access to hearing aids, simple home safety retrofits, and physical activity programmes – could prevent 400 million falls, 8.5 million new type 2 diabetes cases, and 2.4 million dementia cases worldwide. Together, these interventions could unlock $5.8 trillion in healthcare savings and $645 billion in productivity gains.

Despite this potential, governments and businesses often manage health, finance, and labour participation separately, limiting the impact of prevention. “Longevity is not about getting old,” said Haleh Nazeri, Lead, Longevity Economy at WEF. “Harnessing this multi-trillion-dollar shift requires addressing physical and financial health together.”

The report highlights the economic value of prevention. Home safety retrofits such as grab bars and stair lighting could save over $5 trillion globally, with Saudi Arabia alone preventing 330,000 falls and saving $3.8 billion.

Diabetes prevention programmes promoting physical activity could avert 8.5 million cases, returning $125 billion in productivity gains. China represents the largest single-country opportunity, adding 16 million healthy years for people aged 50+.

The third area is hearing aid access, which could prevent 2.4 million dementia cases and save $325 billion, with the Netherlands alone saving $2 billion.

The report analysed 21 countries, including Nigeria, Brazil, China, India, and the United States, showing how prevention can strengthen financial resilience, reduce healthcare costs, and keep more people in the workforce.

“Longevity affects every generation, every industry and every economy,” said Pat Tomlinson, President and CEO of Mercer. “When leaders act early – breaking down silos between health, finance and labour – they can unlock growth, improve well-being and create lasting value.”

The findings will be discussed at the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, taking place June 23–25, 2026, in Dalian, China, under the theme “Innovating at Scale.”