Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
As average life expectancy in Germany continues to rise, more than one third of girls born in 2019 will live to celebrate their 100th birthdays, a recent study has calculated.
The figures come from research commissioned by the German insurance industry and carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. The study estimated that 37 percent of newborn girls in 2019 would live to be 100.
The researchers also predicted that 77 percent of girls would reach their 90th birthday and 92 percent would live to be 80. This brought the average life expectancy for women up to 94,8 years. “An age of 90 will be completely normal in the future,” said Dmitri Jdanov, one of the scientists involved in the study.
However, things don’t look as rosy for boys born in 2019, with only one in 10 expected to blow out 100 birthday candles. 59 percent are estimated to reach their 90th birthday, and 84 percent their 80th. The overall average life expectancy for boys born this year was therefore calculated at 88,6 years - 6,2 years less than for girls.
This is not necessarily surprising, however, as it has long been recognised that women tend to live longer than men. While X-chromosomes ensure that girls have stronger immune systems, men are also less likely to seek help from a doctor when they do become sick. They are also more likely to have risky jobs and be involved in accidents.
The researchers were even confident that life expectancy would continue to increase for older generations. Thus, they calculated that 81 percent of today’s 50-year-old women would celebrate their 80th birthday. A further 50 percent would reach 90 and 12 percent 100. The figures for men (70, 36 and three percent, respectively) were slightly lower.
While any increase in life expectancy is surely cause for celebration, it also puts pressure on Germany’s already-overburdened pension and healthcare systems. From pushing back retirement age to increasing social security contributions, the German government is already seeking ways to cope with its ageing population and will presumably have to take even more drastic action in the future.