Life expectancy at birth increased for the third consecutive year in the European Union in 2024, reaching 81.5 years, following the setbacks recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic, Eurostat reported today.
According to the European statistics service, life expectancy rose in 2022 to 80.6 years after falling to 80.4 years in 2020 and 80.1 years in 2021 due to the pandemic. In 2023 it reached 81.4 years, surpassing pre-pandemic levels from 2019.
In 2024, life expectancy at birth for women in the EU reached 84.1 years (an increase of 0.1 years compared to 2023), while for men it was 78.9 years (up 0.2 years).
Spain (84 years), Sweden (83.8) and Italy (83.7) recorded the highest life expectancy, while Bulgaria (75.8), Latvia (76.4) and Romania (76.5) had the lowest averages. In Portugal, the figure stood at 82.5 years — stable compared to 2023 — with women living an average of 82.5 years and men 79.7 years.
