THE LIFE EXPECTANCY of 65-year-old Finns has decreased noticeably, indicates data compiled by Statistics Finland.
The remaining life expectancy for 65-year-old men decreased by 0.2 years from the previous year to 18.5 years, representing the biggest decrease in over three decades. The remaining life expectancy for 65-year-old women decreased by 0.1 years to 21.9 years, marking the second consecutive year of decline.
“Also that has not happened for over 30 years,” highlighted Joni Rantakari, a senior statistician at Statistics Finland.
Life expectancy has developed more positively in the longer term in Finland. The remaining life expectancy of 65-year-old men has increased by 4.7 years and that of women by 4.2 years since 1990.
The data shows that the life expectancy for newborn boys was 79.2 years and that of newborn girls 84.5 years in 2021. While both expectancies have increased over the longer term, the expectancy for boys has steadily caught up with that for girls.
The life expectancy for newborn children irrespective of gender was the longest in Åland. The life expectancy was the shortest for boys in Kymenlaakso and for girls in Kainuu. Regional differences in life expectancy were more pronounced for boys than girls, with the expectancy for boys being shorter than that for girls in all regions.
Rantakari highlighted in his blog entry that in addition to place of residence, life expectancy varies based on the mother tongue of the child.
“Life expectancy was over two years longer for boys speaking Swedish as their mother tongue than for boys speaking Finnish as their mother tongue. Girls showed a similar, although not as pronounced, difference,” he wrote.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
