Life expectancy across the European Union has now fully recovered from the demographic shock of the pandemic, reaching 81.5 years in 2024, a new Eurostat study shows.
The figure marks a 0.1-year increase compared with 2023 and slightly exceeds the 81.3 years recorded in 2019, the last year before the outbreak of COVID-19.
During the pandemic, life expectancy in the EU fell sharply, declining to 80.4 years in 2020 and 80.1 years in 2021.
The new figures indicate that European populations have largely regained lost ground, however they also reveal persistent regional inequalities — naturally, between western and eastern parts of the EU.
The highest life expectancies in the EU are concentrated in wealthier urban regions in western and northern Europe, where healthcare systems and income levels outcomes are generally stronger.
The Spanish capital region Comunidad de Madrid recorded the highest life expectancy in the EU at 85.7 years.
Three other regions reached 85 years or more, including the Italian autonomous provinces Provincia Autonoma di Trento and Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige / Bozen, as well as the Swedish capital region Stockholm County.
By contrast, several regions in eastern Europe remain far below the EU average.
Three Bulgarian regions recorded the lowest life expectancies in the EU. In Severozapaden, life expectancy reached just 73.9 years, nearly 12 years lower than in Madrid. The Bulgarian regions Severen tsentralen and Severoiztochenfollowed with 74.9 and 75.4 years respectively.
Other regions with low life expectancy included Mayotte, where life expectancy stood at 74.5 years, and Észak‑Magyarország, at 75.1 years.
Experts frequently attribute these disparities to lower incomes, higher rates of chronic disease, weaker healthcare systems, and lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, which remain more prevalent in parts of eastern Europe.
In other news, the Eurostat data also confirm a persistent demographic pattern: women live significantly longer than men across the EU.
In 2024, life expectancy for women reached 84.1 years, while men were expected to live 78.9 years.
The size of this gap varies dramatically between countries. In Latvia, women live 9.8 years longer than men, the largest difference in the EU. The gap is also pronounced in Lithuania (8.6 years) and Estonia (8.4 years).By contrast, the difference is far smaller in western Europe. The Netherlands recorded the smallest gender gap at 2.8 years, followed by Sweden (3.1 years) and Ireland (3.4 years).
Researchers link the gap largely to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, workplace risk exposure and lifestyle factors among men.
Eurostat also introduced a new methodology for calculating life expectancy, extending the measurement range from 85+ years to 95+ years.
Historical data will be recalculated back to 2014 using the updated approach in the coming months.
In contrast, birth rates remain low in many countries.
Romania’s declining birthrate seen in villages where it’s years since the last birth
