Brussels, Belgium/Lisbon, Portugal – European citizens are living longer, with life expectancy at birth in the 27 European Union (EU) countries reaching 81.4 years in 2023, according to data released by Eurostat. This figure marks a significant recovery, exceeding the values recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Eurostat press release, issued on March 14, highlighted a notable increase of 0.8 years compared to 2022. "After having decreased in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, life expectancy reached higher values compared to 2019 [pre-Covid-19]. This was also the highest value recorded since 2002, reflecting a total increase of 3.8 years," the agency stated.

Portugal has also witnessed a rise in life expectancy, with the average reaching 82.5 years in 2023. This figure surpasses the 81.8 years recorded in the previous year and the 81.9 years observed in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

However, Eurostat data reveals significant regional disparities within Portugal. Life expectancy varies considerably across the country:

North: 83.2 years
Center: 82.9 years
West and Tagus Valley: 82.2 years
Greater Lisbon: 82.8 years
Setúbal Peninsula: 81.4 years
Alentejo: 80.8 years
Algarve: 81 years
Autonomous Region of the Azores: 79.5 years
Autonomous Region of Madeira: 80.6 years

Notably, the northern regions of Portugal exhibit the highest life expectancy.

Consistent with trends across the EU, Portuguese women are expected to live longer than men. In Portugal, the life expectancy for women is 85.3 years, while for men, it is 79.5 years, resulting in a difference of 5.8 years. This gap is higher than the EU average of 5.3 years.

These figures underscore the ongoing improvements in healthcare and living conditions across Europe, while also highlighting the regional variations that persist within individual member states.