To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average life span for (a) males and (b) females in each country in the EU; and what assessment he has made of the factors underlying variations. [36890]
The table supplies details of the average expectation of life at birth for males and females in the United Kingdom and other European Union countries. The causes of health variations are complex. They are associated with a range of often interacting factors, including geography, socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, life style and environment.
| Expectation of life at birth in European Union countries, circa 1993 | |||
| Expectation of life at birth (years) | |||
| Country | Year | Males | Females |
| United Kingdom | 11992 | 73.6 | 79.1 |
| Austria | 1994 | 73.4 | 79.9 |
| Belgium | 1989 | 72.3 | 79.1 |
| Denmark | 1993 | 72.7 | 77.9 |
| Finland | 1993 | 72.1 | 79.6 |
| France | 1992 | 73.8 | 82.3 |
| Germany | 1994 | 73.1 | 79.7 |
| Greece | 1993 | 75.0 | 80.4 |
| Ireland | 1992 | 72.6 | 78.2 |
| Italy | 1991 | 73.7 | 80.5 |
| Luxembourg | 1993 | 72.4 | 79.3 |
| Netherlands | 1993 | 74.0 | 80.1 |
| Portugal | 1993 | 70.6 | 77.9 |
| Spain | 1992 | 73.8 | 81.3 |
| Sweden | 1992 | 75.5 | 81.1 |
Source:
World Health Organisation European Office 'Health for All' database.
Note:
1 More up to date figures from the Government Actuary's Department indicate an average expectation of life in the United Kingdom in 1994 of 74.2 years for men and 79.4 years for women.