The 20 countries with the highest life expectancy AND WHY IS JAPAN WITH THE HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY? BUT WHAT MIGHT CAUSE DECLINE IN THE FUTURE?

 The 20 countries with the highest life expectancy

AND WHY IS JAPAN WITH THE HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY?

BUT WHAT MIGHT CAUSE DECLINE IN THE FUTURE?

No one should be surprised that we affirm that the world is, sadly a wildly uneven place. There are few countries where you live with a lot and many countries where you live with little. This is the world we have created. And this obviously has consequences on a human level.

And one of the strongest indicators of this inequality is, without a doubt, the Human Development Index (HDI), which classifies countries into four levels depending on the three basic dimensions of the human being: life expectancy, education and per capita income. .

And in this context, we have 189 computer countries according to this index. From Norway, the country with the highest HDI (0.957), to Niger, the country with the lowest HDI (0.394), the world is a scale of inequalities. And in today's article, we will focus on one aspect of this HDI: life expectancy.

Today we will embark on a journey through the world to discover the countries with the highest life expectancy at birth. As of today, and with the figures published by the WHO in December 2020, Japan is, at 84.3 years, the country with the highest life expectancy.

Índice()What are the countries with the longest life expectancy?20. Germany: 81.719. Netherlands: 81.818. Ireland: 81.817. Malta: 81.916. New Zealand: 82.015. Canada: 82.214. Iceland: 82.313. Sweden: 82.412. Luxembourg: 82.411. France: 82.510. Israel: 82.69. Italy: 83.08. Australia: 83.07. Cyprus: 83.16. Spain: 83.25. Singapore: 83.24. South Korea: 83.33. Norway: 83.32. Switzerland: 83.41. Japan:84.33

What are the countries with the longest life expectancy?

From Japan, the country with the highest life expectancy (84.3 years), to Lesotho, the country with the lowest life expectancy (52.9 years), there are more than 30 years difference. That is, depending on where you are born, your life can be 30 years shorter or longer. May this help us to realize how lucky the countries that make up this list are.

Many official bodies present data on life expectancy each year. We have stayed with those offered by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2020, with the data corresponding to the year 2019. We will present the list in increasing order of life expectancy and indicate, next to the country, the years that, on average, a person born in it can expect to live. Let's go there.

20. Germany: 81.7

We started the trip with Germany, the most populous country in the European Union, with 83 million people living there. It is the third country in the world that allocates the most economic resources to human development, thus allowing not only to be placed in sixth position as far as HDI is concerned, but also to provide a complete social security system and ensure a high standard of living. The world leader in science and technology has a life expectancy of 81.7 years.

19. Netherlands: 81.8

Also known as Holland, the Netherlands is a constituent country of the European Union and one of the most economically free. It is one of the most consolidated democracies in the world, corruption is practically non-existent and GDP per capita is high. It is not surprising, then, that it is the ninth country in the world with the highest HDI and that its life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years.

18. Ireland: 81.8

Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1922, Ireland has grown at a dizzying rate. It always ranks among the highest in the world when it comes to political, press and economic freedom, GDP per capita and quality of life. In fact, with an HDI of 0.955, It is the second most developed country in the world on a human level. And this translates directly into a very high life expectancy of 81.8 years.

17. Malta: 81.9

Malta is an island country of the European Union. An archipelago located in the Mediterranean Sea, in southern Italy, and which, with an area of ​​just 316 km², is the tenth smallest country in the world. But despite this, its population of just over 490,000 can receive universal health coverage and excellent quality public services. In fact, your healthcare system is in the top 10 in the world. And this directly translates into a high life expectancy of 81.9 years.

16. New Zealand: 82.0

New Zealand is a country in Oceania that stands out for its geographic isolation. It is a parliamentary monarchy with cities that are always among the highest quality of life in the world. In fact, it is considered the freest country and with greater respect for civil rights around the world. It is also among the 15 countries with the highest HDI and proof of this is the life expectancy of its inhabitants: 82 years.

15. Canada: 82.2

Canada, the second largest country in the world (after Russia), is not only the tenth most powerful world economy on the planet, but it is also an energy self-sufficient country, a pioneer in technological advancement and with cities with a quality of life without equal, making it among the 20 countries with the highest HDI. Its 37 million inhabitants have a life expectancy of 82.2 years.

14. Iceland: 82.3

Iceland is a small island country located north of the European continent, between the North Atlantic, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea. It has a population of only 357,000, making Iceland one of the least populated countries in the world. Even so, its economy is very solid, it is technologically very advanced and its citizens enjoy an enormous quality of life. This makes it the fifth country in the world with the highest HDI and that their life expectancy is 82.3 years.

13. Sweden: 82.4

The Nordic countries are very advanced. And the Kingdom of Sweden, the fifth largest country in Europe, is proof of that. It has a population of 10 million inhabitants, is the country with the greatest access to the Internet in the world (98%), it has policies very in favor of the environment, the use of renewable energies and the conservation of nature and its GDP per capita is high. All this makes it the seventh country in the world with the highest HDI and its life expectancy is 82.4 years.

12. Luxembourg: 82.4

Luxembourg is a small country of just 2,586 km² and with a population of 626,000 that is a member of the European Union and borders Germany, Belgium and France. Despite its small size, it has a highly developed economy, with one of the highest GDP per capita in the world. It occupies the 23rd position among the countries with the highest HDI and its life expectancy is 82.4 years.

11. France: 82.5

France has, according to WHO, the best health system in the world. 70% of routine healthcare costs are covered by social security, and 30% are paid by the person. But for the most serious or long-lasting illnesses, 100% is covered by the State. This, together with a good economic situation (it is the sixth world economic power), makes France the 26th country in terms of HDI and that its 67 million inhabitants have a life expectancy of 82.5 years.

10. Israel: 82.6

Israel is a sovereign country in the Middle East that achieved its independence in 1948 and that, to this day, it is the eighth world economic power. It is a very technologically and socially advanced country that is among the 20 countries with the highest HDI in the world. And this translates directly into occupying the tenth position in terms of life expectancy. Its population of 9 million inhabitants lives, on average, 82.6 years.

9. Italy: 83.0

Italy has, according to the WHO, the second best health system in the world, second only to France. The Italian state guarantees that its 60 million inhabitants receive excellent health services. It occupies the 29th position in terms of HDI, it is the eighth country with the highest nominal GDP and the ninth with the highest life expectancy: 83 years.

8. Australia: 83.0

Australia is the largest country in Oceania and the sixth largest in the world. It is a country governed in the form of a constitutional parliamentary monarchy with a high GDP per capita and great economic freedom. It has the eighth highest HDI in the world and it is also the eighth country with the highest life expectancy: 83 years.

7. Cyprus: 83.1

Cyprus is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, close to Turkey and Syria, which is part of the European Union. It has an area of ​​only 9,251 km² and a population of just over 956,000 inhabitants, but this does not mean that it has a very high HDI or that its economy is strong enough to guarantee a sufficient quality of life to sneak into position number seven in terms of life expectancy it means. Cypriots live, on average, 83.1 years.

6. Spain: 83.2

Spain has one of the best health systems in the world according to the WHO. It is one of the countries that economically allocates the most to health (9% of its GDP), which allows the Spanish State to guarantee universal and quality coverage to its 47 million inhabitants. It occupies the 25th position in terms of HDI, it is the thirteenth country with the highest nominal GDP and its life expectancy is 83.2 years.

5. Singapore: 83.2

Singapore is an island country made up of 63 islands that together cover an area of ​​just 687 km², making Singapore the nineteenth smallest country in the world. But despite this and its population of less than 5.6 million, has one of the best health systems in the worldIt is safe and there is quality of life, the right to housing and economic freedom. All this makes it the twelfth country with the highest HDI and the fifth highest life expectancy in the world: 83.2 years.

4. South Korea: 83.3

South Korea is an Asian country that is consolidating itself as a huge world economic power. It is a small country with an area of ​​100,000 km² but with a population of 51.5 million inhabitants. It is one of the technological leaders of the planet and its HDI is already number 23. And its quality of life and health systems are so good that its life expectancy is the fourth highest: 83.3 years.

3. Norway: 83.3

Norway is the country with the highest HDI in the worldSo it should come as no surprise that, at 83.3 years, it is the third country with the highest life expectancy. The Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country with a population of 5.3 million people that also has the third highest GDP per capita in the world. In addition, it is also the most democratic country on Earth, one of those with the lowest crime rate, the most peaceful in the world, and the one with the smallest salary gap between jobs. It should not be surprising, then, that all this translates into a life expectancy of 83.3 years.

2. Switzerland: 83.4

Switzerland is a country located in central Europe with a population of 8.5 million inhabitants and that ranks third in terms of HDI. It is also the fourth richest country in the world by GDP per capita and three of its cities (Geneva, Zurich and Basel) are among the 10 best cities in the world for quality of life. All this translates into being the second country in the world with the highest life expectancy: 83.4 years.

1. Japan: 84.3

We got to the king. The country where you live the most. Japan is an Asian country with a population of 126 million inhabitants, with a government that guarantees universal and quality coverage for all of them, thus having one of the best health systems in the world. It occupies the 20th position in terms of HDI, it is the third world economic power by nominal GDP and the leader in the automotive and electronics industries. Not surprisingly, their life expectancy is 84.3 years. The highest in the world.





The secrets of Japan's high life expectancy

It’s 1963 and in an office in Tokyo, government officials are trying to find out how many centenarians there are in Japan.

Their answer? 153.

Fast-forward to today, and the same record shows 60,000 Japanese citizens aged 100 or older — with the oldest aged 115.

How long does the average Japanese person live?

The average life expectancy in Japan in 84 years, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)1, Japanese women can expect to live to the age of 87 — six years more than their counterparts in the United States. Japanese men can expect to live to 81 — five years more than their American peers.

Year after year, Japan has topped the international league tables for life expectancy. But why is life expectancy in Japan higher than in other developed countries?

Why do Japanese people live so long?

A study published in the spring of 20162concluded that diet was a major factor behind the country’s high life expectancy figures.

The National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo3 tracked the eating habits and well-being of nearly 80,000 men and women over the course of 15 years.

They found that people who had closely followed food and dietary guidelines published by the Japanese government in 2005 tended to be in better health than their peers.

The 2005 guidelines recommended the number of “servings per day” of different food types:

5-7 servings of grain-based foods (rice, pasta, noodles, bread)5-6 servings of vegetables3-5 servings of meat and fish2 servings of fruit2 servings of milk and dairy products

Eating snacks and sweets and drinking alcohol were advised in moderation.

The result was a diet low in saturated fat and with few processed foods, but high in carbohydrates.

“Our findings suggest that balanced consumption of energy, grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs, soy products, dairy products, confectioneries, and alcoholic beverages can contribute to longevity by decreasing the risk of death, predominantly from cardiovascular disease, in the Japanese population,” the researchers concluded.

Older medical studies have proposed other reasons for the long life-span of Japanese men and women.

Papers in the medical journal The Lancet4credited the Japanese government’s investment in public health in the 1950s and 1960s with creating a health- and hygiene-conscious culture in the country.

This ranged from childhood vaccination programmes and the introduction of universal health insurance, to campaigns to reduce salt consumption, and the use of medication to reduce blood pressure.

Another factor might be the lifestyle that Japan’s older population enjoy. Retirees in Japan stay active, and many older people continue working by choice rather than economic necessity.

Studies of areas such as Kagoshima Prefecture and the Amami Islands5, which are known for having an even higher life expectancy than the national average, found that living with purpose may also keep people alive longer. It was found that elderly residents of these areas were more involved in the local community and spent more time around younger family members.

So what is the key to longevity? Good diet, regular exercise and a healthy attitude to life, community and family — or so, it seems, is the case in Japan.



Japanese Health Suffers Western Influence

The people of Japan have the longest life expectancy in the world, but the influence of Western life-styles may be eroding that status. New Scientist reported recently that of 2.1 million people given a physical exam in 1994, only 18 percent were given a clean bill of health. Ten years earlier, that figure was 30 percent. According to one of the authors of a report by the Japan Hospital Association, the culprit is the high fat and cholesterol content of Western-style foods, along with an increase in smoking and the consumption of alcohol. The largest health declines were seen in highly industrialized regions, such as the Osaka-Kobe area. In contrast, the healthiest region is in the north, in the rural parts of the island of Hokkaido.