Australian boys born in 2010 can now expect to live until 80.10, longer than any other country. By 2030, this will rise to 84.
According to the study published in The Lancet, they will only be overtaken by South Korean men in 2030 – by just 25 days.
We Australian women currently have the fourth longest life expectancy at 84.53. Girls born in 2030 will live until 87.57, the sixth longest.
Historically women have lived longer than men – so why is the gap closing?
Lead author Professor Majid Ezzati of London’s Imperial College explained: “Men traditionally had unhealthier lifestyles, and so shorter life expectancies. They smoked and drank more, and had more road traffic accidents and homicides. However as lifestyles become more similar between men and women, so does their longevity.”
Women drinking and smoking more
Certainly we women seem to be picking up some of men’s bad habits, such as heavier drinking, as this story shows.
But there’s a serious side too.
For the first time ever, life expectancy has hit 90. A 65-year-old Australian woman in 2030 is set to live an extra 24 years – for men, it’s an extra 20 years.
And remember these figures reflect average life expectancy – so half of us will go beyond this number.
Longer lives don’t always equal better quality of life. We will need to work for longer and save more for our retirement – and try to stay in better health before we do retire.
If we want this to happen, we need to start planning now. And cut down on the drinking.
