Study || Could this be the flip side to the news last week that everyone in Portugal drinks too much (see story HERE)? Now we are told by the same World Health Organisation, which recently came down so hard on Portugal’s drinkers, that women in this country are living longer than women in many other countries.
In fact, Portugal is in the top 10 when it comes to life expectancy for its women who, nonetheless, are said to be drinking too much!
Conveniently, none of these global surveys ever seem to take much notice of each other.
Thus, this latest simply tells us that Portugal is in 10th position in the female longevity Top 10 with an average life expectancy for women of 84 years.
Ahead of us are Japan (87), Spain, Switzerland and Singapore (85.1), Italy (85), France (84.9), Australia and South Korea (84.6) and Luxembourg (84.1).
WHO is unclear on the reasons for the longevity, which very possibly vary from country to country, but given the social situation in Portugal and the state of the country’s health service, it is nothing short of remarkable that the nation’s women are reported to be living so long.
According to WHO’s statistics, female longevity has jumped five years since 1990 – and men too are living longer, although their national average is only 77. Could that be because of all the heavy drinking? We may never know!
