Which countries have the longest life span and why? (2024)

24 Jan 2017 | 3 min read time

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At the beginning of every year many of us commit to stricter diets andmore exercise, striving towards creating healthier lifestyles forourselves. However, it's not only about looking and feeling good - overthe years, life expectancy in the UK has continued to rise as a result.

Taking a look back to the Victorian era when the first lifetable wascreated (1841), newborn boys and baby girls were only expected to reachtheir 40th and 43rd birthdayrespectively- latterly being put down to poor public hygiene, lack of childhoodimmunisations and the absence of the NHS (which didn't come into forceuntil more than 100 years later).

Consistently, over the years, females have always had a higher lifeexpectancy than males however upon comparing life expectancy tables from1841 until present day, the difference is astonishing. Fast forward 170years, as of 2015, females were expected to have a life expectancy of82.9- a very different picture from 1841.

Aside from technology, better food supply, better education on nutritionand greater awareness of health risks which have so far helped toprolong our lives, there are learnings we can take from Monaco,Switzerland and Japan to help us live a longer life.

Monaco Living

Well known for its upmarket casinos, yacht lined harbour and of coursethe world famous Grand Prix running through its streets once a year,Monaco is also known for its high life expectancy. As of 2016, theaverage life expectancy for the people of Monaco is89.5-the longest life expectancy of anywhere else on earth. With the highestnumber of millionaires and billionaires per capita of the world, as oneof the world's wealthiest principalities, extreme prosperity may have animpact on the life expectancy. However, one of the main things it hasbeen put down to is its Mediterranean diet.

Due to the proximity to the sea, seafood is a very important ingredientin their diets, as are fruit and vegetables, taking inspiration fromboth French and Italian cuisine. As well as having one of the healthiestdiets on the planet, Monaco's state-funded healthcare system as well ashigh levels of disposable income has helped increased life expectancy byproviding excellent health services to its citizens.

Japanese Living

Diets: Another country with high life expectancy is Japan with anaverage life expectancy of 85 years as of2016.Similar to Monaco, Japanese diets include plenty of fresh fish andvegetables cooked by pan-grilling, stir-frying, steaming and boiling aswell as low consumption of meat and saturated fats. Their love ofseaweed (consuming more than 100,000 tonnes peryear)ensures they don't miss out on the vitamins and minerals needed whilsttheir love for matcha tea provides much needed antioxidants.

Portion control is also something the Japanese take seriously - onlyusing chopsticks, serving each item of food on a separate plate andeating only until they are 80%full.

Exercise: In addition to a well-established healthcare system, peopleof Japan also tend to be physically active well into their later life.Going through life walking and standing as part of their daily commute(some employees at Canon even work standing up), Japanese citizens alsooften partake in rajiotaiso - exercisesbroadcasted across the radio - in large groups to help them remainactive. The beautiful landscape of Japan is also an encouragement forpeople to spend more time outdoors.

Singapore Living

Following Monaco and Japan,Singapore ranks third in the lifeexpectancy tables with a life expectancy of 85years.Sitting closely behind Japan for the last few years, it has been slowlycatching up and is expected to rise above Japan in the coming years.

Key to the increasing life-span is Singapore's outstanding healthcaresystem. With a focus on early detection of life-threatening diseases andpeople committed to raising awareness of regular check-ups, this hashelped reduce chronic illnesses leading to longer life expectancy.

Similar to Monaco and Japan, Singaporean's have a very balanced dietconsuming grains, fruit, vegetables, fresh fish and lean meats to helpprevent against chronic diseases whilst taking inspiration from othernearby countries, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Across all three countries with the longest life span in the world, therecurring theme is diet - something which, although has gradually gotbetter in the UK over the years, still has a long way to go. Have youmade any changes in the new year so far to create a healthier lifestyle?Will you take inspiration from any of these countries?