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HEALTH

MAP: Where in France do people have the longest life expectancy?

France generally does pretty well in European (and global) comparisons on life expectancy - but which French regions have the longest-living residents?

Published: 9 November 2023 16:45 CET
MAP: Where in France do people have the longest life expectancy?
Growing old in France appears to be a habit. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)

You might expect that the clear mountain air of the Alps would give inhabitants the longest life expectancy in France, or perhaps the sunny days and gentle winters of Provence – but in fact new data reveals that the place in France where people live the longest is the Paris region. 

Women in the greater Paris region of Île-de-France can expect to live 86.6 years old, while men have a life expectancy of 80.8 years. The overall average lifespan for the region is 83.8 years – above the national average of 82.4 and the highest in France, according to a study by European statistics body Eurostat.

But there might be something in that crystal clear mountain air – the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is second on Eurostat’s long-life list, with women in the region living 86.7 years, while men’s life expectancy is the same as for men in Île-de-France.

Corsica, which was ranked first in France for life expectancy in 2022, is now in third place after it saw life expectancy averages fall from 87 to 86.2 years for women, and from 84 to 80.6 years for men. 

The lowest average life expectancy in metropolitan France is in the northern Hauts-de-France region, the figures show, with the average lifespan of 83.8 years for women and 77.2 for men. 

The region was formerly France’s centre of heavy industry and coal mining, which may account for shorter life expectancy. 

Across the European regions, overall life expectancy at birth was 80.1 years, the study revealed – 82.9 years for women and 77.2 years for men. At the time of birth, females are expected to live longer in every region of the EU where data is available.

While Ile-de-France is the longest-lived area of France, it is not the longest lived region of Europe.

The highest life expectancy at birth for women is in Spain – in the  Comunidad de Madrid it is 88.2 years followed by Comunidad Foral de Navarra (87.6 years), Castilla y León (87.5 years), Cantabria (87.1 years), Galicia and País Vasco (both 87.0 years).

The highest figure for life expectancy at birth for men, 82.8 years, was recorded in the autonomous island region of Åland (Finland), followed by Comunidad de Madrid (82.2 years) and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (81.9) in Spain, then the Swedish regions of Stockholm (82.1 years) and Småland med öarna (81.9 years).

Life expectancy for men and women by region of France

Region Overall life expectancy Female life expectancy Male Life Expectancy
FRANCE 82.4 85.5 79.3
Ile de France 83.8 86.6 80.8
Centre Val de Loire 82.2 85.4 79.0
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 82.3 85.5 79.1
Normandie 81.6 84.9 78.2
Hauts-de-France 80.5 83.8 77.2
Grand Est 81.8 84.8 78.7
Pays-de-la-Loire 83.1 86.2 80.1
Bretagne 82.4 85.6 79.1
Nouvelle Aquitaine 82.7 85.8 79.6
Occitanie 82.9 85.8 79.9
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 83.4 86.4 80.4
PACA 82.4 85.4 79.4
Corsica 83.4 86.2 80.6

Member comments

  1. The official ONS statistics for life expectancy in the UK are 88 for women and 86 for men. This is somewhat better than anywhere in Europe. Astonishing!

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HEALTH

French health authorities warn of risk of ‘epidemic’ from mosquito-borne disease

French health authorities have sounded the alarm about the 'fairly high risk' of an epidemic of mosquito-borne illnesses in the next five years in France.

Published: 17 September 2024 10:58 CEST
French health authorities warn of risk of 'epidemic' from mosquito-borne disease

ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail), the French body for environment and health safety – published a report on Friday finding that France is at a ‘fairly high risk’ of epidemics linked to tiger mosquitoes.

Tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) are known for their ability to carry dangerous diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. These diseases can be dangerous, but deaths are rare in countries where people have access to good healthcare.

So far, the insect has been detected in 78 of France’s 95 mainland départements – gradually spreading north as global temperatures warm.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

ANSES wrote in their report that “in the next five years, an epidemic of mosquito-borne illnesses has a probability between 6 and 7, on a scale of 0 to 9.”

In terms of when the ‘epidemic’ level is reached, one of the two coordinators of the study, Émeline Barrès, explained in the report: “We talk about an epidemic when it is not possible to link all the infected people to one single outbreak.

“This means that the transmissions are beyond the control system.”

ANSES also added that “the emergence of an epidemic depends on a number of factors.

“These include the presence of tiger mosquitoes in the country, climatic conditions favourable to their reproduction (in particular the accumulation of hot days over a given period and rainfall), the arrival of infections in people from areas where viruses are circulating, and the effectiveness of measures to combat tiger mosquitoes and the transmission of viruses.”

What would happen if there was an epidemic?

Experts expressed concerns in a number of areas.

“In the event of an epidemic, the current means to prevent and monitor mosquito-borne illnesses would become overwhelmed”, the researchers wrote.

They also referenced fears about the health system being under strain if a large number of cases were to occur over a wide area, as well as impacts on the tourism industry.

Anses also recommended that local authorities be vigilant in ensuring that under-served populations have access to information, prevention resources and care, out of concern that an epidemic could exacerbate social inequality in France.

What is the current risk?

In recent years, cases of dengue and chikungunya have increased in mainland France.

From May 1st to September 10th, France reported 1,372 imported cases (meaning they were contracted outside of mainland France) of dengue fever.

READ MORE: How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

Health authorities also reported 13 imported cases of chikungunya and three of (imported) Zika virus.

Imported mosquito-borne illnesses in France tend to involve people who recently visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the such diseases are endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

As for cases contracted in mainland France, local transmission remains rare.

In 2024, there have so far been 46 reported cases of locally transmitted (indigenous) dengue fever, according to Santé Publique France. There has been one case of ‘indigenous’ chikungunya so far in 2024.

In terms of location, the majority of these local infections have occurred in southern France.

Screenshot from Santé Publique France of a map of indigenous outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses in France.

In 2023, there were nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Until recently, researchers had been unable to identify contaminated mosquitoes, despite the presence of local transmission, but in 2023, researchers managed to trap tiger mosquitoes in the Drôme département who were carrying the virus. 

What steps can people take to stop the spread of tiger mosquitoes?

Anses noted that in addition to collective action and a response from health authorities, individuals can also take steps.

These include;

  • Regularly emptying outdoor bowls or receptacles filled with water in order to prevent them from becoming mosquito breeding areas
  • Covering rainwater collectors with mosquito netting
  • Protecting yourself by wearing long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing and by using insect repellent.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

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