One of the interesting aspects that came out of the announcement is the government data which shows more than half of individuals aged 70 and above are women of which 54 per cent are widows.
This reflects that women live longer than men, a fact that multiple studies have consistently shown to be true. According to analysis of the United Nations, World Population Prospects (2022) data, in 2021, the global life expectancy gap was five years, with women averaging 73.8 years compared to 68.4 years for men.
According to the latest data — that was last updated on July 12, 2024 — in some countries, life expectancy of women is significantly higher than that of men, while in others, it is only narrowly higher.
In Russia, for instance, the life expectancy of women is 12 years more than men. Life expectancy of men is around 67 years whereas, for women, it is 79 years. Similarly, in Belarus, the life expectancy of men is around 69 years whereas for women, it is 79 years. In Kazakhstan, women are expected to live till 78 years whereas men are expected to live to 70 years (on average).
In India, the life expectancy of men is 70 years whereas for women it is 73 years.
Let’s explore the factors contributing to women’s longer lifespans and why men generally live less than women.
Many scientists and researchers have tried to find the scientific reason behind why men often die earlier than women. For instance: In 2021, a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health noted that women now live longer than men in all countries of the world and that the difference is greatest in high-income countries, even though the gap is not as great in affluent countries, as it was in the past.
“The patriarchal countries of the Middle East have very low life expectancy differences and high-income western countries have narrowed their gendered life expectancy difference as women have achieved more gender equity.”
Heart attacks Are Higher Among Men
Biologically, it is believed that the presence of the hormone oestrogen in women’s bodies helps them to protect the heart along with lowering inflammation and improving muscle mass and bone density.
Studies have shown that women are diagnosed with heart disease about a decade later than men, generally in the post-menopausal period when the protective effects of oestrogen are attenuated.
Experts also believe that women have stronger social circles where they share their stress and end up managing the stress better than men.
Excess Smoking, Drinking, Lack of Judgment
According to Robert H Shmerling, a member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School, there are several reasons why the ratio of men to women, which is roughly equal in young adulthood, increasingly shifts in favour of women over time.
In Harvard Health Blog, Shmerling listed seven reasons behind the shorter life expectancy of men, including higher chances of heart attack, risk due to dangerous jobs, dying by suicide, fewer social connections and a tendency to avoid doctors.
Shmerling pointed out that men take time to mature and hence, take bigger risks in life, showing a lack of judgment.
“The frontal lobe of the brain — the part that controls judgment and consideration of an action’s consequences — develops more slowly in boys and young men than in their female counterparts. This may contribute to the fact that far more boys and men die in accidents or due to violence than girls and women.”
He added: “Examples include biking, driving drunk, and homicide. This tendency towards lack of judgment and consideration of consequences may also contribute to detrimental lifestyle decisions among young men, such as smoking or drinking to excess.”
His analysis is in line with UN data that shows that youth death rates among boys and men is higher due to accidents, violence, suicides, poisonings, and other reasons whereas its low among women.
Unique genetic makeup
Data shows that the gap in life expectancy begins at birth. Baby boys have higher death rates compared to new-born girls as boys have an increased risk of diseases and genetic disorders.
Men have XY chromosomes whereas women have XX chromosomes. It is believed that the Y chromosome in men tends to develop mutations more often than the X chromosome. “…The lack of a second X chromosome in men means that X-linked abnormalities among boys are not “masked” by a second, normal version…” Shmerling explained in his blog.
He said survival in the womb is also less reliable for male foetuses (for uncertain, and probably multiple, reasons) and developmental disorders are also more common among boys; some of these could shorten life expectancy.
In short, while researchers are still understanding the specific reasons behind the difference in life expectancy, the question of why women generally live longer than men remains largely unanswered. It could be attributed to women’s unique genetic makeup having XX chromosomes and oestrogen, or perhaps it’s due to factors such as better stress management and a social circle that contributes to their longevity.
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