European lifestyles healthier for women than men

Having examined and compared the health of 53 countries, the World Health Organisation’s European health report found that the average European has enjoyed a rise in their longevity overall, but men are lagging behind and are yet to reach the average level that women enjoyed in 1980.

The WHO found that across Europe, average life expectancy for women in 2010 was 80 years and 72.5 years for men.

However, in the UK, the average life expectancy in 2010 was 82.5 years for females and 78.5 for males. Lifestyle and occupational differences are said to “largely explain this gap”.

The study shows that 30 per cent of deaths in the EU occur before the age of 65.

Non-infectious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases account for 80 per cent of deaths in the EU, with circulatory diseases such as strokes accounting for 50 per cent of deaths before the age of 65.

European life expectancy has increased on average by five years since 1980 WHO report finding

Infectious diseases are less common in the EU, with TB accounting for 40 per cent of all communicable disease deaths – usually related to people with HIV and AIDS. Eastern Europe has the fasted growing HIV epidemic in the world.

Read more: Russia condemned for its futile fight against Aids

Inequality

Dr Ritu Sadana, editor-in-chief of the WHIO report, said: “A major success for the European region is that life expectancy has increased by five years since 1980, reaching 76 years in 2010.

“The downside is that the benefit is not equally shared across countries. Average life expectancy at birth differs from the highest at 82.2 years in Spain and the lowest level at 68.7 years – a 13.5 year gap in the region.

The report details how 27 per cent of people aged over 15 in Europe smoke tobacco regularly, with twice as many men smoking compared to women. Alcohol consumption in Europe is the highest in the world and accounts for 6.5 per cent of all deaths.

European alcohol consumption highest in the world WHO report finding

The proportion of the population living in urban areas reached nearly 70 per cent in 2010 and is expected to keep increasing. Air pollution is now taking an average of eight months or, in the most polluted cities, two years off life expectancy.

The study also revealed how migration is strongly influencing demographic changes in Europe with 73 million migrants making up nearly 8 per cent of the total population. They are on average younger, less affluent and more likely to become ill than the general population.