Discover why Australians are outliving Americans—are you missing out on extra years?
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Australia is renowned for its sun-kissed beaches, unique wildlife, and laid-back lifestyle, but it seems there's another, less celebrated aspect where the Land Down Under is excelling: longevity.
Recent research has shed light on the fact that Australians are living significantly longer than their American counterparts, with Australian women enjoying nearly four more years and men close to five additional years of life.
This is a remarkable statistic that prompts us to delve deeper into the factors contributing to this disparity and what it means for our seniors.
The study, published in BMJ Open, compared life expectancies across six English-speaking countries—Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.
It not only highlighted Australia's success but also underscored the ongoing challenges it faces, particularly in reducing inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the Northern Territory, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders constitute 30.8 per cent of the population, life expectancies were 6.2 years lower for men and 4.96 years lower for women compared to the highest-performing Australian state.
Researchers used data from the Human Mortality Database and the World Health Organization Mortality Database to compare life expectancies from 1990 to 2019.
In 2019, Americans had the lowest life expectancy at birth, with women living an average of just under 81.5 years and men averaging nearly 76.5 years.
‘One of the main drivers of why American longevity is so much shorter than in other high-income countries is our younger people die at higher rates from largely preventable causes of death, like drug overdose, car accidents and homicide,’ Jessica Ho, Associate Professor of Sociology and Demography at Penn State University in the US and senior author on the paper explained.
‘What the study shows is that a peer country like Australia far outperforms the US and is able to get its young adult mortality under control.’
‘It has really low levels of gun deaths and homicides, lower levels of drug and alcohol use and better performance on chronic diseases, the latter of which points to lifestyle factors, health behaviours and health care performance,’ she added.
In younger age groups, Australia experiences lower mortality rates from perinatal conditions, congenital anomalies, and motor vehicle accidents compared to other large, high-driving countries like the US and Canada.
Researchers suggested that Australia's higher life expectancy compared to other Anglophone countries may be influenced by various factors, including its history of immigration.
‘Australia has the highest foreign-born share of its population, reaching nearly 30 [per cent] in 2018. Prior studies have found that immigrants, who tend to have higher life expectancy than the native-born, can make important contributions to national life expectancy,’ they wrote.
Australia's smoking epidemic has been less severe compared to the US and the UK, which researchers suggest may contribute to lower mortality rates from respiratory diseases, cancers, and circulatory conditions.
‘Finally, a 2021 Commonwealth Fund report found that Australia’s healthcare system outperformed that of the UK, New Zealand, Canada and the USA,’ the researchers reported.
‘Australia experiences a mortality advantage from circulatory and respiratory diseases, cancers and perinatal and congenital conditions, which are linked to superior healthcare system performance (e.g., cancer screening and treatment, influenza vaccination, and cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment).’
While Australia's life expectancy has historically been higher than in many other countries, recent trends are showing a decline that prompts reflection on the factors influencing this shift.
As new research highlights the comparative advantages and challenges in Australian health outcomes, it also underscores the need to understand what’s driving these changes.
This evolving landscape in life expectancy raises important questions about the current state of health and demographics in Australia, prompting a deeper look into how these trends are impacting the nation's wellbeing.
Have you noticed the benefits of the Australian healthcare system and lifestyle in your own life? What do you think can be done to ensure that all Australians, regardless of background, can enjoy a long and healthy life? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below!
Recent research has shed light on the fact that Australians are living significantly longer than their American counterparts, with Australian women enjoying nearly four more years and men close to five additional years of life.
This is a remarkable statistic that prompts us to delve deeper into the factors contributing to this disparity and what it means for our seniors.
The study, published in BMJ Open, compared life expectancies across six English-speaking countries—Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.
It not only highlighted Australia's success but also underscored the ongoing challenges it faces, particularly in reducing inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In the Northern Territory, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders constitute 30.8 per cent of the population, life expectancies were 6.2 years lower for men and 4.96 years lower for women compared to the highest-performing Australian state.
Australian women and men live about 4 and 5 years longer, respectively than their US counterparts. Credit: Shutterstock
Researchers used data from the Human Mortality Database and the World Health Organization Mortality Database to compare life expectancies from 1990 to 2019.
In 2019, Americans had the lowest life expectancy at birth, with women living an average of just under 81.5 years and men averaging nearly 76.5 years.
‘One of the main drivers of why American longevity is so much shorter than in other high-income countries is our younger people die at higher rates from largely preventable causes of death, like drug overdose, car accidents and homicide,’ Jessica Ho, Associate Professor of Sociology and Demography at Penn State University in the US and senior author on the paper explained.
‘What the study shows is that a peer country like Australia far outperforms the US and is able to get its young adult mortality under control.’
‘It has really low levels of gun deaths and homicides, lower levels of drug and alcohol use and better performance on chronic diseases, the latter of which points to lifestyle factors, health behaviours and health care performance,’ she added.
In younger age groups, Australia experiences lower mortality rates from perinatal conditions, congenital anomalies, and motor vehicle accidents compared to other large, high-driving countries like the US and Canada.
Researchers suggested that Australia's higher life expectancy compared to other Anglophone countries may be influenced by various factors, including its history of immigration.
‘Australia has the highest foreign-born share of its population, reaching nearly 30 [per cent] in 2018. Prior studies have found that immigrants, who tend to have higher life expectancy than the native-born, can make important contributions to national life expectancy,’ they wrote.
Australia's smoking epidemic has been less severe compared to the US and the UK, which researchers suggest may contribute to lower mortality rates from respiratory diseases, cancers, and circulatory conditions.
‘Finally, a 2021 Commonwealth Fund report found that Australia’s healthcare system outperformed that of the UK, New Zealand, Canada and the USA,’ the researchers reported.
‘Australia experiences a mortality advantage from circulatory and respiratory diseases, cancers and perinatal and congenital conditions, which are linked to superior healthcare system performance (e.g., cancer screening and treatment, influenza vaccination, and cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment).’
While Australia's life expectancy has historically been higher than in many other countries, recent trends are showing a decline that prompts reflection on the factors influencing this shift.
As new research highlights the comparative advantages and challenges in Australian health outcomes, it also underscores the need to understand what’s driving these changes.
This evolving landscape in life expectancy raises important questions about the current state of health and demographics in Australia, prompting a deeper look into how these trends are impacting the nation's wellbeing.
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