A small child at home. Life expectancy in Finland rose to record-high levels last year. Photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
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Life expectancy in Finland increased sharply in 2024, reaching the highest levels ever recorded, according to final data from Statistics Finland. Both men and women lived longer than in previous years, with newborns in Åland expected to live the longest.
Nationwide, boys born in 2024 are expected to live 79.6 years and girls 84.8 years. The figures marked a rise of 0.7 years for boys and 0.6 years for girls compared to the previous year. The data matched preliminary estimates published in April.
Åland maintained its position as the region with the longest life expectancy. For the period 2022–2024, newborn boys in Åland had a life expectancy of 81.4 years and girls 86.1 years.
At the other end of the scale, the lowest male life expectancy was recorded in Kainuu, where boys were expected to live 77.2 years. For girls, the shortest life expectancy was measured in Lapland at 83.2 years during the same period.
“There is more year-to-year variation in smaller regions compared to larger ones,” Joni Rantakari, senior actuary at Statistics Finland, said.
Women had higher life expectancy than men in all regions. The widest gender gap was observed in Kainuu, where the difference reached 6.3 years. The smallest gap was recorded in Central Ostrobothnia at 3.4 years. Differences between regions were also wider among men than women.
The data also confirmed a strong correlation between marital status and longevity. Married individuals had significantly longer life expectancies than those not married.
“In 2024, married men lived on average eight years longer than unmarried men. For women, the difference was almost six years,” Rantakari said. “These differences have remained stable for years, apart from a temporary narrowing in 2023.”
The statistics do not account for other types of partnerships, so comparisons are limited to marital status.
Life expectancy figures are age-standardised and reflect observed mortality levels during the period. The measure does not predict future lifespans but indicates how long a newborn would live on average if mortality rates remained the same throughout their life.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
