From Brain Health to Brain Economy

The human brain, as the most sophisticated organ in the human body, is not only the center of consciousness, emotions, and cognition but also plays an increasingly crucial role in global economic and social development. The 12th World Brain Day in 2025, themed “Brain Health for All Ages,” closely connects brain health throughout the entire life course with global economic resilience and sustainable social development, unveiling a new era from “protecting brain health” to “the rise of the brain economy” [1]. On July 22, 2025, World Brain Day, an initiative of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) in conjunction with more than 20 global neuroscience institutions, incorporated “support for brain health throughout the life course” into the action framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3: “Good Health and Well-being”) [2]. The theme was proposed in recognition of the profound global understanding of the burden of neurological diseases—from the preconception period to old age, brain health has consistently been a key factor in determining the individual quality of life and social productivity. In terms of global collaboration mechanisms, World Brain Day 2025 achieved a tripartite linkage of “medical care-policy-society”. Cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) elevated brain health to the agenda of global governance, while the introduction of the World Health Organization's Intersectoral Global Action Plan (WHO-IGAP) provided standardized intervention guidelines for countries. This multi-stakeholder collaboration model laid the institutional foundation for the subsequent implementation of the “brain economy” concept. Threats to brain health span the entire life course [3]. The spectrum of neurological diseases across different age groups varies considerably, with further disparities driven by levels of economic development and the distribution of healthcare resources. Risks in the prenatal and neonatal stages primarily arise from disruptions to the developmental environment. Among the causes of prenatal developmental malformations, environmental toxins (such as heavy metal exposure) and maternal infections during pregnancy (such as Zika virus) account for more than 60%. The incidence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy resulting from perinatal asphyxia in sub-Saharan Africa is eight times higher than in high-income countries. In low- and middle-income countries, the coverage of neonatal intensive care units is below 30%, making otherwise preventable and treatable neurological infections (such as bacterial meningitis) the leading cause of neurological damage in infants and young children. The brain health crisis in childhood and adolescence (5–18 years) exhibits dual physical-psychological dimensions. In this age group, the global treatment gap for epilepsy is as high as 50%, while in low- and middle-income countries more than 75% of patients do not receive standardized treatment. Notably, in conflict-affected regions, the comorbidity of neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder [ASD] and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) with mental health conditions (such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) has risen to 40%. Limited access to educational resources and social discrimination have further exacerbated delays in cognitive development. Adulthood (18–65 years), as the core working-age population, is directly linked to economic vitality through brain health. Migraine affects 12% of the global adult population, resulting in approximately 130 million lost workdays every year. The stroke mortality rate in low- and middle-income countries is three times higher than that in high-income countries, largely due to the insufficient coverage of specialized stroke centers—in sub-Saharan Africa, there are only 0.2 stroke units per million people, compared with 5.8 in North America. Occupational hazards (such as prolonged sitting and heavy metal exposure) and traumatic brain injuries from road traffic accidents have become emerging causes of neurological damage in urban young and middle-aged adults. Neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly (over 65 years) have become a global public health challenge [4]. Worldwide, there is one new case of dementia worldwide every 3 s, with Alzheimer's disease accounting for 60%–70% of cases; however, the diagnosis rate in low- and middle-income countries is less than 10%. The treatment gap for Parkinson's disease is even greater: access to dopamine replacement therapy in developing countries is below 20%, resulting in approximately 80% of patients losing the ability to care for themselves within 5 years of diagnosis. The combined impact of population aging and the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases makes stroke the leading cause of neurological dysfunction in individuals over 70 years. This inequality in global brain health is not only a public health issue but is also gradually becoming an “invisible barrier” to economic development—the loss of labor force due to neurological diseases is widening the development gap between the Global North and Global South. The economic loss caused by brain diseases has reached a “crisis level”. Data from the Ontario Brain Institute indicate that one in three people in Western countries will experience a brain disease—encompassing neurological disorders, mental health conditions and brain injuries—at some point in their lifetime. The combined total of direct medical costs (diagnosis and treatment, medications, rehabilitation) and indirect losses (reduced labor force participation, family caregiving burdens) now exceeds the overall economic impact of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. From a global economic perspective, the annual loss attributable to brain diseases is estimated at between 2.5 and 8.5 trillion U.S. dollars, representing 3%–9% of global GDP [5]. This estimate comprises medical expenditures (approximately 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars), productivity losses (approximately 3.8 trillion U.S. dollars), and the opportunity costs of family caregiving (approximately 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars). Even more concerning, the disease burden is rising at an alarming rate: from 1990 to 2021, the number of people living with Alzheimer's disease increased by 161%, Parkinson's disease by 274%, and global stroke cases by 102%. The number of people with depression has reached 332.4 million—an 89% increase compared with 1990. Data from specific countries further underscore the urgency of the problem. In China, the lifetime risk of stroke in individuals over 25 years is as high as 40%, the highest in the world. In Japan, deaths from Alzheimer's disease has increased by 367% compared with 1990, making it the leading cause of death in the country. The United States has the highest disability burden from mental health conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder worldwide, with an estimated annual productivity loss of about 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars. It is worth noting that the economic impact of brain diseases has a “cross-life-course transmission” effect. Neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood can reduce educational attainment and employment quality in adulthood; stroke in middle age may result in decades of family caregiving burdens; and the long-term care costs of dementia in old age have pushed the medical insurance systems of some countries to the brink of collapse. This “time compounding effect” makes brain health a critical factor limiting the sustainable development of the global economy. In response to the brain health crisis, the introduction of the concept of “Brain Capital” has marked a cognitive shift—viewing brain health and cognitive ability as accumulable and investable economic assets [6]. The Brain Capital Alliance (BCA) formally defines this concept as: “the sum of knowledge, creative skills, and optimal brain health accumulated by individuals throughout their lives, forming the foundation for realizing their potential as productive members of society”. Brain capital encompasses two core dimensions: brain health and brain skills. Brain health refers not only to the “state of being free from disease” but also to the preservation of neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve, such as delaying cognitive decline through lifelong learning. Brain skills comprise advanced cognitive abilities, such as creativity, systems thinking, and emotional regulation. In the labor market of the digital age, these capabilities are replacing traditional manual skills as core competencies. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, 50% of the skills required for emerging occupations are directly related to brain skills—for example, the “abstract thinking” required of AI trainers and the “system integration ability” needed for sustainable development consultants. The economic value of brain capital has been empirically demonstrated. Modeling by the McKinsey Health Institute indicates that systematic global investment in brain capital could boost GDP growth by 12%, equivalent to an annual increase of 10 trillion U.S. dollars in economic output. This growth would stem from three aspects: improved labor productivity (the work efficiency of a healthy brain is 35% higher than that of an impaired one), accelerated innovation (teams with cognitive diversity have a 40% higher patent output rate), and reduced healthcare expenditures (preventive brain health management can lower the treatment costs of neurological diseases by 50%). In terms of policy practice, Canada has incorporated brain capital into its national strategy. Its 2025 G7 Brain Economy Summit Action Plan states: “Brain capital is the most urgent economic constraint and the greatest development opportunity”. By establishing a “Brain Capital Index” and integrating indicators such as early childhood cognitive development, workplace brain health support, and cognitive training for older adults into the performance evaluation systems of local governments, Canada has become the first country in the world to implement the quantitative management of brain capital. The release of the value of brain capital has given rise to the “Brain Economy”—a new economic model driven by the maintenance of brain health and the development of brain skills [7]. Its core logic is that, by optimizing the allocation of brain capital, total factor productivity can be enhanced, facilitating the transformation of the economy from being “physically-driven” to “mentally-driven”. The industrial landscape of the brain economy has begun to take shape, encompassing three major sectors: brain health services (full life-course management from prenatal neurodevelopmental screening to cognitive rehabilitation for older adults), brain skill cultivation (personalized education, cognitive training, neuroenhancement technology), and brain science innovation (neurotechnology, brain–computer interface, AI-assisted diagnosis). According to data from the Brain Economy Hub (BEH), the global brain economy-related industry reached a scale of over 5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 18%, outpacing the growth rates of both the artificial intelligence and new energy sectors. Major global economies have begun to lay out brain economy strategies. In 2025, the G7 established a “Brain Economy Working Group,” jointly led by the finance and health ministries of member states, with plans to position the brain economy as the next growth pole after the digital economy by standardizing indicators, coordinating investments, and sharing data. The EU's “European Brain Project” has invested 15 billion euros, focusing on the development of early intervention technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, while Japan, through its “Society 5.0” strategy, has designated brain–computer interfaces and remote cognitive care as priority industries for national support. Developing countries are also exploring brain economy pathways suited to their own contexts. The African Brain Science Alliance has proposed a “cognitive resilience” plan aimed at improving the brain health of adolescents through low-cost mobile health technologies (such as mobile-based cognitive assessment apps). India focuses on integrating the IT industry with brain skills, and its “cognitive outsourcing” model (outsourcing data annotation, basic programming, and other tasks requiring moderate cognitive abilities to laborers trained in brain skills) has created 2 million jobs. International organizations: The WHO issued the Guidelines for Integrating Brain Health into Universal Health Coverage, incorporating neurological disease screening into basic medical service packages; the OECD established a “Brain Capital Database” to provide a comparative benchmark for policy formulation across countries. Business community: Technology giants such as Microsoft and Google have established “Workplace Brain Health Funds” to provide employees with cognitive training and mental health support. Pharmaceutical companies have accelerated the research and development in the neurological drug sector, and, as of 2025, twelve early-intervention drugs for Alzheimer's disease worldwide have entered Phase III clinical trials. Academic community: 100 top universities worldwide have formed a “Brain Science Alliance” to share neuroimaging data and research results. The China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases has collaborated with the US Mayo Clinic to develop low-cost stroke treatment plans tailored for use in developing countries. In terms of policy innovation, the practice of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) is noteworthy. The six brain economy conferences convened by the association following the 78th UN General Assembly facilitated the development of the Framework for Synergy between Brain Capital and Sustainable Development Goals, which puts forward 10 specific recommendations, such as incorporating brain health indicators into national development plans and establishing a global brain health investment fund. Together, these recommendations provide a practical action pathway for developing countries. From the “all-age protection” theme of World Brain Day to the “brain economy strategy” of the G7, human understanding of the brain has evolved from focusing on “disease treatment” to emphasizing “capital cultivation”. In the 21st century, marked by accelerating digitalization and population aging, brain health is not only the cornerstone of personal well-being but also a core driver of national competitiveness. Building a “brain-friendly society” requires coordinated efforts from three sectors. At the individual level, it is essential to cultivate an awareness of “lifelong brain health management” and to treat cognitive training and emotional regulation as daily essentials. At the enterprise level, organizations should implement “brain-friendly” workplace designs, such as flexible work systems (to reduce cognitive fatigue) and recruitment strategies that promote cognitive diversity (to enhance innovation capacity). At the government level, measures should include strengthening the public brain health service system, incorporating early childhood development and cognitive screening for older adults into basic public services, and increasing investment in brain science research. Protecting the brain means protecting the future of humanity. When the global community truly regards brain capital as its most valuable asset and brain health as a fundamental right, we can unlock individual potential while guiding the global economy toward greater resilience and sustainability. This is the most profound significance of launching Brain Health journal. It is hoped that this new journal will serve as a distinctive platform for academic exchanges on brain health and contribute to advancing global brain health, brain capital, and brain economy. Yongjun Wang: writing – original draft. The author declares no conflicts of interest.