Man alive! Irish males living longer

IRISH men are closing the gap on women in terms of life expectancy, new government figures show.

According to new statistics, life expectancy for men has increased by more than two years over the last 12 years, reaching 79.9 years – an increase of three years since 2006.

Irish women are also living longer, with an average life expectancy of 83.6 years, a rise of two years since 2006. Although Irish women still comfortably outlive men, that gap has narrowed from a 5.6-year difference in 1996. And there was more good news for men – with statistics showing that Irish men are also living a year longer than the EU average, while Irish women match the EU female life expectancy.

The trends were released as part of Health In Ireland: Key Trends published by the Department of Health. The growth in the number of people aged 65 and over has increased by 35% since 2009 and has been increasing at a faster rate than other EU countries.

The number of over-65s is expected to double in the next 20 years, with the greatest proportional increase in the 85 and older group. By contrast Ireland’s birth rates have been decreasing year-on-year.

In general, the report found that Irish people are living longer and healthier lives but access to healthcare remains a serious issue.

According to the report, inequalities in health are closely linked to wider social determinants, including living and working conditions, access to healthcare as well as the cultural and physical environment.

The report warns that an ageing population coupled with adverse trends could lead to an unhealthy and costly future if not tackled.

The overall mortality rate has fallen by 14.9% since 2008 with some of the most deadly diseases seeing higher reductions, the study found. Comment – Page 14 ronan.smyth@dailymail.ie

Access to healthcare remains an issue