Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In 2023, life expectancy at birth in the European Union reached 81.4 years, an increase of 0.8 years compared to 2022. After declining in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy reached higher values ​​than in 2019. This was also the highest value recorded since 2002, reflecting an overall increase of 3.8 years.
This information is derived from life expectancy data recently published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union in Brussels.
The Community of Madrid, Spain, recorded the highest life expectancy at birth (86.1 years) in the EU region, followed by the Autonomous Province of Trento in Italy (85.1 years), the Åland Islands in Finland (85.1 years), and the Autonomous Province of Navarre in Spain and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen in Italy (both 85 years).
In contrast, among the five EU regions with the lowest life expectancy at birth, three were in Bulgaria: Severozapadn (73.9 years), Severin Central (75.2 years), and Jugoystošen (75.1 years). The other two were Izak-Magyarorszag in Hungary (74.9 years) and Mayotte in France (74.9 years). Women are expected to live 5.3 years longer.
Life expectancy at birth for women in the EU was 84.0 years in 2023 (an increase of 0.7 years compared to 2022 and the same value as in 2019), and for men was 78.7 years (an increase of 0.8 years compared to 2022 and 0.2 years compared to 2019). In 2023, women's life expectancy at birth was 5.3 years longer than men's, with disparities across EU countries. In Latvia, women are expected to live 10.1 years longer than men, followed by Lithuania (9.0 years) and Estonia (8.8 years).
The smallest gender gaps were recorded in the Netherlands (3.0 years), Sweden, and Luxembourg (both 3.3 years).