This chapter describes the health status of EU citizens, including trends in life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, main causes of death, the prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities, and mental health issues. By 2023, life expectancy in most EU countries had recovered from the unprecedented reductions during the COVID‑19 pandemic, but there remained a gap of eight years between countries with the highest life expectancy and those with the lowest life expectancy. While women in the EU continue to live more than five years longer than men, the gender gap in healthy life years is much smaller as women live a greater proportion of their lives with some health issues and disabilities. The main causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and cancer, which together accounted for over half of all deaths (54%) in the EU in 2021. COVID‑19 was the third leading cause in 2021, accounting for one in nine deaths. Over one‑third of adults (35%) in the EU report living with a chronic condition, and this proportion increases to 60% among people aged over 65. There is some evidence that the health of young people deteriorated during the pandemic. Over half (52%) of 15‑year‑olds on average across the EU reported multiple health complaints in 2022, an increase from 42% in 2018. The most common health complaints are related to psychological distress. The gender difference in multiple health complaints is large: 68% of 15‑year‑old girls reporting multiple health complaints in 2022 compared to 37% of boys.
Health at a Glance: Europe 2024
State of Health in the EU Cycle
Health at a Glance: Europe
