There are not only major global differences in life expectancy - the data on longevity in Germany even varies from region to region. We have collected and compared various statistics on lifespan.
Longevity in Germany: overview and international comparison
The average age in Germany is 81.2 years. This puts us at the bottom of the table in Western Europe - even though we spend the most money on health. This was the conclusion of the study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
However, thanks to our well-developed healthcare system we actually have the best chances of an above-average life and health span. Instead, the gap to other countries has been growing steadilyover the past 20 years, as the study "Mortality trends in Germany in an international context" (2024) by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research shows.
While in 2000 we were 0.73 years behind for men and 0.74 years behind for women, in 2019 it was already 1.43 and 1.34 yearsrespectively. The difference is not enormous, but the trend continues to point towards an increase. The increased mortality rate among middle-aged and elderly people is mainly due to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases or undetected high blood pressure.
On the list of countries by average life expectancy, we are only in 38th place. For example, ahead of us are Monaco (the country with the highest life expectancy), Japan in 4th place, Sweden in 18th place, Austria in 25th place and Finland in 34th place (as of 2023)
Development of longevity in Germany
Life expectancy in Germany has increased significantly in recent decades - but the increase has slowed down recently:
Langfristige Entwicklung
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Life expectancy has more than doubled since 1871.
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From 1950 to 2019, life expectancy increased continuously every year.
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In the last 25 years (from the early 1990s to 2015/2017), life expectancy increased by 4.2 years to 83.2 years for women and by 5.9 years to 78.4 years for men.
Jüngste Entwicklungen
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Until 2009/2011, the average annual increase was about 0.3 years for both sexes.
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From 2009/2011 to 2017/2019, the annual increase slowed to an average of 0.1 years.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in life expectancy for the first time in 2020.
Aktuelle Zahlen
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By 2021/23, life expectancy had risen to 77.4 years for newborn boys and 83.6 years for newborn girls.
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After the pandemic-related decline, a slight increase of 0.1 years was recorded again in 2021/2023. Increase of 0.1 years was recorded for both sexes.
Prognosen
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By 2070, the average life expectancy for women could rise to 88.2 years and for men to 84.6 years, according to forecasts.
Regionale Unterschiede
Baden-Württemberg tops the list of federal states with the highest life expectancy:
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Women: 84.11 years
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Men: 79.72 years
In contrast, Saxony-Anhalt has the lowest life expectancy:
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Women: 82.28 years
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Men: 75.78 years
Nord-Süd-Gefälle
There is a clear north-south divide in life expectancy:
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South German states such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria have the highest life expectancy.
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Northern German states such as Bremen and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania tend to have a lower life expectancy.
Ost-West-Unterschiede
Historically, there were and are significant differences between East and West Germany:
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After reunification, life expectancy in East Germany increased significantly.
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Today, girls in East and West Germany have a similar life expectancy of around 83 years.
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There is still a difference for boys: 76.8 years in East Germany compared to 78.5 years in West Germany.
Why has life expectancy risen almost constantly in recent decades?
In recent decades, several factors have contributed to the increase in life expectancy in Germany:
Medizinischer Fortschritt
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Improved treatment and prevention of age-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases
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Containment of infectious diseases
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Advances in medical technology and disease prevention
Gesünderer Lebensstil
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Trend towards a conscious and balanced diet
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Increase in physical activity
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Decrease in tobacco and alcohol consumption
Improved living conditions
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Increased material well-being
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Bessere Arbeitsbedingungen
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Improving the housing situation and hygiene
Social and political factors
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Expansion of the social security system and long-term care insurance
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Health policy measures to curb tobacco and alcohol consumption
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Increasing levels of education leading to health-conscious behavior
Demografische Entwicklungen
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Improvement in the chances of survival in old age.
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Continuous increase in life expectancy for over 50 years.
These factors have combined to lead to a significant increase in life expectancy. Since 1960, men have gained an average of 10.8 years and women 10.4 years in life expectancy.
Longevity in global comparison
The average global life expectancy at birth in 2023 is about 73.2 years - a significant increase compared to previous decades.
Kontinentale Unterschiede
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North America has the highest average life expectancy among the continents at 79.6 years.
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In Europe, life expectancy is around 79.1 years on average.
Countries with the highest life expectancy
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Monaco: 86.4 years
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Japan: 85.0 years
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Singapore: 84.1 years
Entwicklungstrends
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From 1950 to 2019, life expectancy increased worldwide every year.
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In 2019, it reached a peak of 73.4 years.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global life expectancy fell to 71.4 years in 2020 and 2021.
Prognosen
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By 2050, life expectancy in North America is expected to reach 83.6 years.
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By 2100, Africa, which currently has the lowest life expectancy at 64 years, could catch up to 74.9.
These statistics show significant global progress, but also persistent regional differences in life expectancy.
What factors influence our longevity
Importantly, only around 20% of our life expectancy depends on our genes and 80% on our lifestyle and environment. With a healthy lifestyle, we could extend our average life expectancy - by as much as 22.6 years for women and 23.7 years for men. This was the conclusion of the American study "Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program". They analyzed data from more than 700.000 US veterans aged 40 to 99 years and were able to isolate eight significant factors for our lifespan:
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Körperliche Aktivität
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Gesunde Ernährung
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How to deal with stress
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Avoidance of tobacco consumption
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Kein übermäßiger Alkoholkonsum
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Guter Schlaf
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Positive social relationships
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Keine Schmerzmittel-Abhängigkeit
Blue Zones: The Key to Longevity
Blue Zones are regions in which an above-average proportion of the population lives to be 90 or even 100 years old - and in good health. The term was first coined by the demographer Michel Poulain and the doctor Gianni Pes. They marked the areas on a map with a blue marker where the highest life expectancy was observed - hence the name "Blue Zones".
The reasons for the high life expectancy of the residents are thought to be a combination of healthy nutrition, daily exercise, strong social ties and a positive lifestyle .
Where are the Blue Zones located
Currently, five regions are designated as Blue Zones. These include:
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Okinawa (Japan)
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Sardinien (Italien)
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Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica)
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Ikaria (Griechenland)
- Loma Linda (California)
Researchers suspect that various cultural and social similarities are the basis of the above-average life expectancy. For example, a plant-based diet, moderate calorie intake, low tobacco or alcohol consumption, regular exercise and strong social ties are among the decisive factors. A number of studies have already shown that some of these have a demonstrably life-prolonging effect. The American Dan Buettner has devoted himself to the Blue Zones in numerous books and documentaries.
You can find more detailed information in our article "Blue Zones - The secrets of a long and healthy life".
