The number of centenarians as well as overall life expectancy is increasing in Switzerland. A boy born in Switzerland in 2021 has the highest life expectancy in the world.
In 1990, 377 centenarians lived in Switzerland; ten years later the number had risen to 787 and now there are 1,888, three-quarters of whom are women, the Matin Dimanchewrote on SundayExternal link.
“According to the ranking drawn up by the OECD, a boy born in our country in 2021 will have the highest possible life expectancy at 81.9 years, just ahead of Icelanders, Norwegians and Japanese,” sociologist Stéphane Cullati, a researcher at the University of Fribourg, told the newspaper.
For a girl born in 2021, the prognosis is “also very favourable”, because Switzerland is in fourth place behind Japan, South Korea and Spain with a life expectancy of over 85 years.
“According to some demographic estimates, one out of every two children born in Switzerland after the year 2000 will become a centenarian,” said Daniela Jopp, a professor at the University of Lausanne who is leading the first national study on centenarians.
Being old is one thing, being healthy is another. But, according to Cullati, “a person who retires at 65 still has an average of 15 to 20 years of good health ahead of them. This is considerable, and allows us to plan ahead”.
More
More
Why the Swiss live longer
This content was published on
Since the beginning of the 20th century life expectancy from birth in Switzerland has almost doubled. In this period, it rose from 49 to 85 for women and from 46 to 81 for men. According the World Health Statistics 2015 report, Switzerland is just behind Japan with an average life expectancy of 83 years. That’s…
However, a recent studyExternal link by Cullati and Adrien Redmund has once again shown that Swiss society is not equal when it comes to life expectancy in good health. An inequality persists and is growing between university graduates and those who did not study beyond compulsory schooling.
“The difference is significant, especially for men,” Cullati said. “In 1994 the gap between the two was 7.6 years. Now, graduates will live for 8.8 years longer in good health.”
One possible explanation for this, he suggests, is that people who have spent more time at school “are more aware of prevention campaigns, are more concerned about their health and consult [doctors] more regularly”.
More
More
Grey pride
This content was published on
Switzerland’s older generation in its golden years. With life expectancy increasing, the time after retirement has a new importance.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss federal office sees no reason to end deportations of asylum-seekers to Croatia
This content was published on
Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) continues to deport asylum-seekers to Croatia. It thus rejects a demand from the Swiss Refugee Council in mid-February, which called for a halt to the returns.
ChatGPT responds to negative emotions and therapy, research shows
This content was published on
Stressful information can also cause anxiety in artificial intelligence (AI). As scientists in Zurich have shown, it's even possible to calm the GPT-4 AI model with mindfulness exercises.
Mortgage benchmark fall paves way for potential rent cuts in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland’s national benchmark for mortgage costs dropped to the level it had before the global inflation surge, paving the way for potential rent reductions.
Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ by Trump’s death penalty order
This content was published on
Switzerland has told the UN Human Rights Council that it is "deeply concerned" by US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to strengthen capital punishment at federal and state level.
Blatter, Platini return to court for new fraud trial over CHF2 million FIFA payment
This content was published on
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini appeared in court in Switzerland on Monday accused of fraud - 2.5 years after they were cleared.
Israel criticises Swiss decision to host Middle East conference in Geneva on Friday
This content was published on
Israel has condemned Switzerland for planning to host a meeting on international humanitarian law in the Middle East next Friday in Geneva.
Centre Party’s Franziska Biner elected to Valais government
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland elected Franziska Biner to the cantonal government in the first round of voting, beating off more established politicians.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ticino has second-highest life expectancy in Europe
This content was published on
With an average life expectancy of 85.2 years, the southern Swiss canton of Ticino is the European region with the second-highest life expectancy.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.