§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo 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]
§ Mr. HoramThe 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.