Greenspace mitigates the global disease and economic burdens of non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a substantial public health concern globally, with environmental factors being dominant contributors. Greenspace, a critical part of our living environment, offers multiple health benefits. However, the impact of greenspace on global NCD burdens remains unclear, hindering the development of effective policies for NCD intervention and greening improvement. Here, we analyzed greenspace-NCD associations across 204 countries/territories during 2000–2021 via mixed-effects regression and estimated preventable NCD-related disease and economic burdens using the comparative-risk-assessment framework. We observed that greater greenspace was linked to fewer NCD-related deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Maintaining peak greenspace levels during 2000–2021 could potentially have prevented 1.66 (95% uncertainty interval, 1.32–1.98) million NCD-related deaths and 37.68 (31.27–43.27) million DALYs globally, saving nearly 10 billion US$. These findings reveal greenspace’s potential to alleviate global NCD burden, urging policy makers and practitioners to incorporate greening initiatives into NCD management.