The average life expectancy in most countries is just that, the average age of those who have died in the preceding decade.
..... At least that's usually the case in the West and rich countries.
For example the average life expectancy for men in the UK is 79.4 years (which places them 16th in the rankings), while the best is Switzerland at 81.3 years. Women's life expectancy rates are higher and show a greater range between the best and the UK (Japan 86.8 years while the UK is 81.2 (20th). Worldwide, the average life expectancy at birth was 70.5 years (68 years and 4 months for males and 72 years and 8 months for females) over the period 2010–2015.
For Eastern Europe (outside of the EU) the position is different. Russia for example has an average male life expectancy of 64.7 years (104th in the world) .... and sadly this reflects the fact that 43% of Russian men don't make even that age (I know how they feel ... but in Russia that figure hasn't changed in over 50 years), and even those that do rarely get past 70 years of age. So imagine the consternation caused when the Russian government announced during Russia's World Cup game against the Saudi's, that they proposed to increase the pension age for men from 60 to 65 years old, and from 55 to 63 years old for women (women's average life expectancy is 70.5 (89th)). Brings a whole new meaning to working until the grave ....
This Russian decision isn't too dissimilar to the first pension ages in the Europe. For instance the UK's first pension age for men in January 1909 was set at the age of 70 .... most males died at around 60 .... so at the very best, one or two years retirement before death for the very lucky 500,000 men aged 70 or more at the time.
Of course this average life expectancy argument should never be confused with quality of life ..... after all a long life bed bound in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, is not something to look forward to .... so maybe those who don't live longer than the allotted span of 3 score years and 10 are actually having a better life outcome, than an extended life in medical care.
Perhaps the Russians are happier in their shorter but active lifetimes, than the longer lived but health afflicted Westerners .... but I doubt that they see it that way.
Bread and Circuses for the Romans, just World Cups and Olympic Circuses for the Russians.
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| Life Expectancy Rates Vary Greatly Across The Globe |
..... At least that's usually the case in the West and rich countries.
For example the average life expectancy for men in the UK is 79.4 years (which places them 16th in the rankings), while the best is Switzerland at 81.3 years. Women's life expectancy rates are higher and show a greater range between the best and the UK (Japan 86.8 years while the UK is 81.2 (20th). Worldwide, the average life expectancy at birth was 70.5 years (68 years and 4 months for males and 72 years and 8 months for females) over the period 2010–2015.
For Eastern Europe (outside of the EU) the position is different. Russia for example has an average male life expectancy of 64.7 years (104th in the world) .... and sadly this reflects the fact that 43% of Russian men don't make even that age (I know how they feel ... but in Russia that figure hasn't changed in over 50 years), and even those that do rarely get past 70 years of age. So imagine the consternation caused when the Russian government announced during Russia's World Cup game against the Saudi's, that they proposed to increase the pension age for men from 60 to 65 years old, and from 55 to 63 years old for women (women's average life expectancy is 70.5 (89th)). Brings a whole new meaning to working until the grave ....
This Russian decision isn't too dissimilar to the first pension ages in the Europe. For instance the UK's first pension age for men in January 1909 was set at the age of 70 .... most males died at around 60 .... so at the very best, one or two years retirement before death for the very lucky 500,000 men aged 70 or more at the time.
Of course this average life expectancy argument should never be confused with quality of life ..... after all a long life bed bound in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, is not something to look forward to .... so maybe those who don't live longer than the allotted span of 3 score years and 10 are actually having a better life outcome, than an extended life in medical care.
Perhaps the Russians are happier in their shorter but active lifetimes, than the longer lived but health afflicted Westerners .... but I doubt that they see it that way.
Bread and Circuses for the Romans, just World Cups and Olympic Circuses for the Russians.
With the ever moving state pension age in the UK we are not necessarily better off than the Russians.
ReplyDeleteToo true. I was told that my state retirement age had gone from 65 to 68 when they revised it.
DeleteIts disappointing to find retirement moving further into the distance. Thanks for the comments.
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