Germany’s statistical office, Destatis, released data Tuesday indicating a rise in life expectancy at birth for 2024. For women, the average life expectancy is now estimated at 83.5 years, while for men it stands at 78.9 years.
This marks an increase of approximately 0.2 years for women and nearly 0.4 years for men compared to the previous year. The observed gains have largely restored both genders to pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019, following setbacks experienced during the COVID-19 period.
Life expectancy had already shown a notable rebound in 2023 after the declines attributed to the pandemic’s impact. Prior to the pandemic, between 2011 and 2019, average life expectancy increased by roughly 0.1 years annually for both men and women. While the recent two years have facilitated a significant recovery, current life expectancy figures remain approximately six months below the trajectory observed during that earlier period.
The improvements extend to older age groups, particularly those most vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus. For women aged 65, the remaining life expectancy is now recorded at 21.2 years, while men in the same age bracket are statistically projected to live for an additional 18.0 years. This represents an increase of over half a year for both genders since 2023 and signifies a return to pre-pandemic levels for this demographic, although the prior growth trend has not been fully recaptured.