- Residents of Baden-Württemberg maintain the highest average lifespan duration.
In Baden-Württemberg, infants have been enjoying a higher likelihood of living longer than their counterparts in other German states. The State Statistical Office indicates that a newborn boy in this southwestern region can anticipate an average lifespan of 79.6 years, while a newborn girl can look forward to 83.9 years.
Since the 1970s, Baden-Württemberg has consistently boasted the highest life expectancy for newborns out of all German federal states. Currently, this expectation is around nine years longer for women and eleven years longer for men compared to the early 1970s.
Lower infant mortality and enhanced preventive care
The State Statistical Office attributes this almost constant increase in life expectancy primarily to a substantial decrease in infant mortality. This reduction has now brought down infant mortality rates to roughly one-seventh of the levels observed in the early 1970s. While around 20 out of every 1,000 live births perished during the first year of life in the early 1970s, it now stands at approximately three out of 1,000 newborns.
Furthermore, senior citizens can enjoy enhanced healthcare in Baden-Württemberg. For instance, a 75-year-old man now has an average lifespan of ten more years compared to an estimated seven years in the early 1970s. Similarly, 75-year-old women can expect to live an average of thirteen years more than they did back then.
COVID-19 impacts life expectancy
Unfortunately, the life expectancy figures for the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2017 to 2019) show a slight decline. Men currently live an average of 0.2 years fewer, while women have a slight reduction of 0.3 years compared to these periods.
According to the State Statistical Office's latest calculations, life expectancy nationwide for newborn girls is 83.0 years, and for boys, it's 78.2 years. This implies that boys born in Baden-Württemberg enjoy a 18-month-longer lifespan than the national average, while girls can expect 11 months more.
An additional comparison: the Saarland has the lowest life expectancy for women among all German federal states. Statistics indicate that women in Baden-Württemberg live an average of two years longer, while men born in Baden-Württemberg can expect around four years of life more than men from Saxony-Anhalt.
Men and boys in Baden-Württemberg have significantly benefited from the region's improved healthcare systems, resulting in a longer average lifespan. As of the latest calculations, a newborn boy in Baden-Württemberg can expect to live 18 months longer than the national average, while girls enjoy an 11-month advantage.
