Life expectancy for Danish women falls slightly

For the first time in two decades, Danish women are expected to live a slightly shorter life

For the first time in 21 years, the life expectancy for Danish women dipped slightly last year. According to figures from Danmarks Statistik, the life expectancy for a Danish woman fell by 0.2 years last year – 73 days to be precise.

The average woman can now expect to live for 82.5 years, which is still longer than the average man, who can expect to live for 78.6 years.

Since 1990, the difference in life expectancy between men and women has narrowed by almost two years, with men starting to close in on women.

Still a lot of candles
Of the girls born this year, 68 percent can expect to live for 80 years, 31 percent will reach their 90th birthdays, and 3.4 percent will live to be 100 years old.

The life expectancy rate is the average number of years a newborn will live,  presuming that current age-specific mortality rates remain constant.

The mortality rate has been declining for many years, so it is possible that last year’s dip was a statistical anomaly and this year’s crop of newborns will live longer than the numbers suggest.

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