From the age of 65, women would gain a head start over men on a very specific subject. Find out which one.
Men and women do not have the same privileges throughout life, despite active struggles for greater equality. But in health, it is visibly women who gain an advantage after the age of 65. According to a Drees study, the increasing life expectancy in Europe would be favorable to them: women would thus live longer and in better health than their male partners.
A new “good health” indicator added to studies on age
The Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) has thus added something new in its 2022 study (the latest to date): a “good health” or “without disability” factor which makes it possible to know not only life expectancy, but also the time during which the French age without really suffering from it. In this area, Europe ranks fourth in Europe regarding healthy life expectancy “at birth” and “at age 65” for men, but even climbs to third place for that of women.
Women in good health longer than men
What this indicator tells us is also that, in general, women live longer in good health than men according to these calculations for the year 2022. “Women can expect to live 11.8 years without disability and men, 10.2 years. from the age of 65, notes the Drees. From birth, women also have an advantage: they are also more likely to reach 65.3 years without disability, compared to 63.8 years for men.
Life expectancy is slowly restarting post-pandemic
Let men not feel wronged. Regardless of gender, “disability-free” life expectancy would therefore gradually increase for everyone, and general life expectancy would revive, according to the latest figures. “Life expectancy at birth is increasing steadily, even if it has been affected by the epidemic of covid-19 and that it has not yet regained its 2019 value, before the epidemic”underlines Drees.