New Census Study Examines Gender Differences in Healthy Life Expectancy After Age 60

A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau examines data from the World Health Organization on the life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for adults beyond age 60. The study found a significant difference in healthy life expectancies by gender, income, and world region.

As life expectancy at age 60 has become increasingly longer in recent decades, measuring how healthy these extra years are has become even more crucial. Healthy life expectancy at 60, or the expected number of years of healthy life after 60, provides significant insight into the potential quality of life for older adults.

The study found that in the Americas, the average life expectancy for those who reach age 60 is 21.4 years. These adults can expect a healthy life expectancy of 16.6 years. If we break the data down by gender, we find that women in the Americas who reach the age of 60 can expect to live another 22.9 years. Men who are 60 years old live on average for another 19.8 years.

For women in the Americas who reach the age of 60, they can expect another 17.7 years of living healthy. For men who reach 60, they can expect another 15.5 years of a healthy lifestyle.

The gender gap in a healthy lifestyle for those who reach age 60 appears to be widening. The study found that older women also achieved greater gains than men in longevity and health between 2000 and 2016.

The full report, “Around the World, Living Longer and Healthier Depends Largely on Gender and Countries’ Income,” may be found here.