In 2023, in France, life expectancy without disability at age 65 will reach 12 years for women and 10.5 years for men, according to Drees. An increase of almost 2 years since 2008.
- Life expectancy in France is increasing, but the quality of these years gained remains very uncertain. In 2023, at age 65, women will live 12 years without disability, compared to 10.5 years for men, with an increase of two years since 2008.
- This improvement reflects a decline in the age of onset of chronic diseases linked to aging and better management of health problems.
- Compared to the European average, France is among the best ranked countries in terms of disability-free life expectancy at age 65.
Life expectancy in France has continued to increase in recent decades, even if the Covid-19 health crisis has had a notable impact. But are these years gained really synonymous with quality of life? To answer this question, researchers are looking at a key indicator: disability-free life expectancy, which corresponds to the number of years a person can expect to live without being limited by a health problem in their daily activities. There Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) has just revealed, this Tuesday, December 31, the new data for this year which is ending.
Disability-free life expectancy: a fairer indicator
Disability-free life expectancy is measured based on the responses of a sample of people questioned about their limitations in daily life activities due to their health. The results are also broken down according to the degree of disability, which makes it possible to distinguish cases of severe, more disabling limitations. Until 2021, this data only concerned mainland France, but since 2022, inhabitants of overseas departments are also included. A particular focus is placed on disability-free life expectancy at 65, the symbolic age marking the exit from active life.
12 years for women and 10.5 years for men
According to the Drees survey, in 2023, a 65-year-old woman can hope to live another 12 years without disability (and 18.5 years without severe disability), while a man can live another 10.5 years without disability (15, 8 years without significant disability). In the space of 15 years (2008-2023), this overall life expectancy has increased by almost 2 years, with an average gain of 1.5 months per year for women and 1.4 months for men. This improvement reflects a decline in the age of onset of chronic diseases linked to aging and better management of health problems.
However, these figures should not mask a more nuanced reality: changes in disability-free life expectancy can be influenced by social factors and fluctuations linked to surveys. The Covid-19 pandemic, for example, disrupted these indicators, with a notable drop in 2020 and 2022, followed by a recovery in 2023.
France above the European average
Compared to the European average, France is among the best ranked countries in this area. In 2022, disability-free life expectancy at age 65 was higher than the European average by 1 year and 4 months for men and 2 years and 6 months for women. At birth, the situation is similar, with a positive difference of 1 to 2 years compared to the European average.
However, these overall data hide disparities, and the downward trend in years lived without disability observed since 2021 challenges researchers: do these specific developments mark a return to normal or do they announce a new dynamic? According to them, it remains crucial to continue monitoring these indicators to improve the quality of life of future generations.
