Life expectancy in France continues to outperform European averages says latest official data

France has a longer average life expectancy than most EU countries, shows data by state statistics agency Insee. 

The report, published on October 15, reveals that in 2023 (the most recent year with available EU country data), men in France who reached the age of 65 continued to live for an average of 19.7 years (to 84.7) and women for 23.4 years (to 88.4).

For comparison, from 2021 to 2023, people in the UK aged 65 lived for 18.5 more years (to 83.5) for men and 21 years (to 86) for women, stated the UK’s Office for National Statistics. 

Average life expectancy in the EU is slightly lower for men (83.3 years) and higher for women (86.8 years).

Countries in the east of Europe, such as Croatia, Latvia, and Hungary have the lowest average life expectancy, while countries in the west (with the exception of Germany) tend to live for longer. 

Insee highlighted that in Spain, the life expectancy of women who reach the age of 65 is the longest in the EU (continuing to 88.9), while Luxembourg has the longest life expectancy for men (continuing to 84.9).

France’s ageing population

France’s population continues to extend its life expectancy, with the average age of death in France in 2024 being 79.4 years (men and women combined) compared with 77.6 years in 2014.

“In 2024, 90.1% of deceased persons were aged 60 or over (cf. 87.2% in 2014), and 29.1% were aged 90 or over (cf. 22.8% in 2014),” reads the Insee report.

More of the population are also living to be centenarians, with 14,200 people (2.2% of deaths) dying aged 100 or over last year, compared with 1.7% in 2014.

The number of people aged 65 and over is expected to further increase by 36% between now and 2050 in metropolitan France, according to a separate Insee report, and this growth will continue until 2070.

In June, The Connexion visited the Genii Longevity conference in Geneva to talk to experts about how France is preparing for the age of longer lifespans via new technologies, lifestyle changes, and future medicines.

A slight increase in deaths

While people are living longer, the number of deaths are also rising. A total of 643,168 people died in France in 2024 - a slight increase (0.3%) compared with 2023. 

This continues a rising trend, with the number of deaths being 5% higher than in 2019 and 18% higher than in 2011.

The report suggests that this increase can be explained as the ‘baby boom’ generations, born between 1946 and 1974, reach the ages of high mortality. 

Other health and environmental factors in 2024 did not greatly impact death rates: “The flu epidemic at the beginning of 2024 returned to the intensity observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the summer heat waves, which were less intense than in 2023, did not lead to a significant increase in mortality,” stated Insee.