If you’re a woman, you’ve probably bragged once or twice (or have heard) that statistically women tend to live longer than men. An interesting statistic from Our World In Data: “In 2021, this difference amounted to a 5-year gap in global life expectancy: the average life expectancy was 73.8 years for women versus 68.4 years for men” (OWID, 2023).
But why is this?
Let’s start at the beginning! Let’s chat chromosomes. Women are XX and men are XY. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “The Y chromosome tends to develop mutations more often than X chromosomes and the lack of a second X chromosome in men means that X-linked abnormalities among boys are not “masked” by a second, normal version” (Harvard, 2020). This means that from the onset women tend to have an advantage; or in other words, men start at a disadvantage.
Furthermore, between male and female youths, more young boys tend to die from accidents, violence, suicides, poisonings and other external causes of death. There is a higher risk of recklessness and willful exposure to danger among adolescent men.
As men and women age, the death rate among men continues to be higher. Men have a greater prevalence of diseases, “including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, infections, cancers and autoimmune diseases. These differences are partly due to gender differences in health behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol and drug use, and occupational risks” (Harvard, 2020). When it comes to more men dying of heart disease specifically, one cause is that men have lower estrogen levels than women—but medical risks such as not treating high blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels also contribute. Scientists also believe women have stronger immune systems than men.
Back to the healthier lifestyle note, it’s been found that women tend to have better health habits all around: “…women generally eat healthier and pay more attention to their health. On average, women visit the doctor earlier and more often than men, generally drink less alcohol, use less tobacco and pay more attention to a healthy diet” (Max Planck Institute). So when it comes to healthy habit stacking, women take the cake! This makes incremental impacts on one’s lifespan.
Lastly, women tend to prioritize their social life and social wellbeing more than men which, as of late, has been found to be a large contributing factor to overall expectancy.
