Spain is the EU leader in life expectancy with a Spanish region topping the charts – CSN

Eurostat data from the year 2023 shows that Spain has the highest life-expectancy rate in the EU.

The average lifespan in Comunidad de Madrid is 86.1 years. This beats out regions like Italy and Finland.

Comunidad Foral de Navarra is also ranked among the top 10 regions in Spain for longevity, at 85.0.

The average age of the EU is 81.4 years.

Andalucia is the only Spanish region that has a lower average life expectancy than the top age group of 83 or older.

Spain’s top regions are closely followed by Italian regions such as Provincia Autornoma di Trento (85,1 years) and Provincia Autornoma di Bolzano/Bozen (85,0 years).

Portugal is struggling too, with some regions of the country experiencing life expectancy rates as low as 80.8%.

Spain’s achievement is part of the broader EU recovery, with life expectancy increasing by 0.8 years between 2022 and 2023.

The pandemic caused declines between 2020 and 2021. However, the figures have now exceeded pre-pandemic values from 2019.

In the EU, women live an average of 5.3 more years than men.

Spain’s gender divide is smaller than other Eastern European nations like Latvia where women live an average of 10.1 more years than men.

The contrast is striking between Spain’s top-performing regions compared to the EU’s worst-performing areas.

In Bulgaria, the life expectancy is only 73.9 years.

The data supports Spain’s global reputation as the leader in longevity, which is often attributed by many to its Mediterranean diet, lifestyle, healthcare system, and healthcare.