Switzerland has the highest life expectancy in Europe at 83.7 years, according to Eurostat. On a regional level, only Madrid in Spain, where people can expect to live until 85.2 years old, tops the Swiss canton of Ticino (85 years).
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-Keystone/Eurostat/ilj
Español
es
Suiza y España tienen la esperanza de vida más alta en Europa
In its latest breakdown of life expectancy figuresExternal link, the European Union’s statistics portal found that on a regional level, Spain came out tops: it had three regions in the top five. Switzerland also did well, as did Italy.
External Content
Within Switzerland, the area with the highest life expectancy after the southern Italian-speaking canton of Ticino was the Lake Geneva region, at 84.2.
This actually puts Lake Geneva just below Trentino in the rankings, along with the Île de France around Paris. Next in line for Switzerland was Central Switzerland, with a life expectancy of 84, so still among the top 15 regions in Europe.
Switzerland in detail
After that came Zurich at 83.9, followed by the northwest (Basel area, Aargau) at 83.6, and eastern Switzerland (from Glarus to Thurgau, includes St Gallen) at 83.4, according to Eurostat.
The last spot, although still with a very high life expectancy, was held by the “Espace Mittelland” (Bern, Freibourg, Solothurn, Neuchâtel and the Jura) at 83.1.
Across Europe, most of the regions with relatively low levels of life expectancy were located in the easternmost regions of the EU. The lowest was in the Bulgarian region of Severozapaden (73.3 years).
“The figures show that there is a difference of 11.9 years between the regions with the highest and lowest life expectancy,” said Eurostat on Friday.
In terms of life expectancy in countriesExternal link, using Eurostat figures, Switzerland is still on top at 83.7, followed by Spain (83.5), Italy (83.4) and France, Luxembourg and Cyprus (all 82.7). The EU average is 81 years old.
This content was published on
Since the beginning of the 20th century life expectancy from birth in Switzerland has almost doubled. In this period, it rose from 49 to 85 for women and from 46 to 81 for men. According the World Health Statistics 2015 report, Switzerland is just behind Japan with an average life expectancy of 83 years. That’s…
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss give themselves clean bill of health
This content was published on
A survey encompassing 35 European countries shows that 77.7% of Swiss residents over the age of 16 rated their health situation as good or very good. The Alpine nation ranked fourth – after Ireland, Cyprus and Macedonia – among those who categorised their health status as “good or very good” in the Eurostat surveyExternal link…
Switzerland drops to fifth in global happiness ranking
This content was published on
For the third year in a row, Switzerland has dropped in the United Nation’s World Happiness report – though it still remains towards the top.
This content was published on
International statistics add context to the interconnected debates in Switzerland over retirement age, longevity and pensions.
A Swiss girl born today can expect to live into the 22nd century
This content was published on
The government has released its annual demographic treasure trove, including births, deaths, marriages and divorces and much more.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.