Life expectancy in Europe now stands at 76 – but this conceals big differences between men and women, a major report says today.
The figure represents an improvement of five years in the last three decades, according to the European regional office of the World Health Organisation.
The report warns of growing numbers of elderly amongst the continent’s 900 million people.
By 2050 one in four Europeans will be over the age of 65, the age currently considered as time for retirement in many countries.
The region’s lowest life expectancy is in the east and its highest in the west, the report says.
But overall women have a life expectancy of 80 while men on average can expect to live to 72.
The report highlights some of Europe’s strengths, including the world’s lowest child death rates and steep declines in deaths of women in childbirth and from road traffic accidents in the last 20 years. Suicide rates have also fallen.
WHO regional director Zsuzsanna Jakab said: "The European Region is undergoing important changes that are shaping health priorities, and the needs for disease prevention and care in the future.
"But there are persistent and widespread inequities in health across the Region, which in some cases are worsening. These are unnecessary and unjust and must be a priority for us to address collectively."
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