A recent study has revealed significant disparities in life expectancy across border regions in Western Europe. The research, conducted by scientists including those from the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), highlights persistent differences between neighboring regions, often exceeding variations within a single country.
The study analyzed data from 277 Western European border regions spanning 1995 to 2019, excluding the period of the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on long-term trends. Findings indicate that national frameworks continue to exert a considerable influence on regional mortality differences across Europe.
For Germany, the research showed that life expectancy in border regions adjacent to neighboring countries is frequently higher than in comparable German areas. Notably, men living near the Swiss border experience an average of 2.2 years less life expectancy than their Swiss counterparts. Similar discrepancies were observed along the borders with the Netherlands and Denmark. The largest differences in female life expectancy were found in comparisons with France, Switzerland and Denmark.
Despite shared socio-economic characteristics and cultural exchange, such as those present along the German-Swiss border, these differences have persisted and appear to be widening. The study noted a growing gap in life expectancy between German border regions and their western, northern and southern neighbors over the past few decades. Border regions adjacent to Poland and the Czech Republic were not included within the scope of this particular analysis.