Germany’s statistical agency, Destatis, released data Tuesday indicating a rise in life expectancy across the nation in 2024. At birth, women are now expected to live 83.5 years, while men’s life expectancy stands at 78.9 years.
This represents an increase of approximately 0.2 years for women and nearly 0.4 years for men compared to the previous year. The figures largely restore both genders to the pre-pandemic levels observed in 2019.
Life expectancy for women and men had already noticeably increased in 2023 following declines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, life expectancy rose at an average of around 0.1 years annually for both sexes between 2011 and 2019. Despite the rebound seen in the past two years, current life expectancy figures remain roughly half a year below that previous trend.
Significant gains were also observed for older demographics particularly vulnerable during the pandemic. For women aged 65, remaining life expectancy is now estimated at 21.2 years, while for men the figure is 18.0 years. This constitutes an increase of over six months of life for both genders since 2023 and represents a return to pre-pandemic levels, albeit not matching the prior rate of increase.
