Despite living longer overall—women (average of 62.8 years in good health) outlive men (62.4 years) by an average of 5.5 years in Europe—the figures reveal that men tend to enjoy a greater proportion of their lives in good health.
One of the more surprising findings is that Danish women have the shortest healthy lifespans in the EU, living in good health for just 54.6 years. They are followed by Latvian (55.4), Dutch (56.3), and Finnish women (56.5). Despite Denmark and the Netherlands boasting highly regarded healthcare systems, the number of healthy years for women in these countries remains among the lowest in the EU.
"The issue is largely linked to lifestyle choices, particularly smoking," Martin McKee, a public health expert from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies at the World Health Organization (WHO), told Polish Press Agency (PAP).
McKee explained that while the healthcare systems in countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland are considered excellent, poor habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption have persisted for years among women.
He also noted that Denmark and the Netherlands have traditionally taken a liberal approach to public health policy, which has hindered efforts to confront the tobacco industry effectively. "For years, politicians in both countries had strong ties with the tobacco industry, which prevented significant change," McKee said.
Poland, in contrast, ranks closer to the middle of the pack in terms of healthy lifespan. Polish women are in 18th place, living in good health for an average of 64.1 years, ahead of countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Polish men rank slightly lower at 13th place, with an average of 60.2 healthy years.
McKee also pointed out that southern European nations, thanks to the Mediterranean diet, tend to fare better in terms of healthy lifespans. The longest healthy lifespans are found in Malta, where women live in good health for an average of 70.3 years, and men just two months less. Bulgarians, Slovenians, and Italians also rank highly.
The Eurostat data has serious implications for the future of the EU's economy, McKee warned. "If the healthy lifespan is dropping to around 55 years, this means numerous people are unable to work. If individuals in their 50s and 60s are too unhealthy to work, it results in a significant loss of productivity," he explained.
(jh)
Source: PAP