The girls have it: why Spanish women live longer than most

A Spanish girl born today will likely live longer than 85 years… and by 2030 that rises to 88.1.

New research published in renowned medical journal The Lancet has found that Spanish women born in 2030 can expect to live to almost 90 years of age.

Currently, the average life expectancy for a Spanish woman is around 84 years of age, but as medical advancements continue this figure is set to rise to 88.1 years for those born over the next few decades – and may even top 90 years of age…

The study also found that the previously held belief that 90 was the upper limit for average life expectancy is way too conservative, with scientists confident that average life expectancies as high as 125 years could soon be around the corner.

Of course, not all nationalities can expect such longevity. Of the 35 developed economies studied, the USA delivers the lowest life expectancy, with American women born in 2030 looking at a life expectancy of 83.3 years.

The report cited a range of factors why the undoubtedly rich USA cannot offer the promise of longevity evident in South Korea, Canada, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Australia and France – the nations that topped the charts.

It found that America’s lack of universal healthcare and unusually high rates of child and maternal mortality, as well as high levels of homicide and obesity, serve to drag down the average life expectancy for women. Men fare no better, and can look forward to living to 79.5 years of age if born in 2030 – which is actually below the average life expectancy for a Spanish man today (82.5 years of age).

So why do countries such as Spain, Japan and South Korea regularly top these lists? There is poverty in all three nations, but scientists are convinced that the combination of excellent and affordable healthcare and a healthy lifestyle and diet evident in all three is the chief reason for such high life expectancy.

In Spain, which despite the influence of Catholicism on everyday life offers impressive liberties for women, life between the sexes is very equal, and healthcare is superb. The typical Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil also helps tackle obesity and lowers cholesterol, while the general lifestyle is active, outdoorsy and social – even in old age it is extremely rare for Spanish pensioners to be lonely because the bonds of the family unit are so strong.

So if you’re thinking of enjoying a long, happy and healthy life for you and your offspring, then Spain is the place to be – particularly if you are a woman.