This is one of the conclusions of the latest INSEE survey on people aged 100 and over. They are 30,000 in our country. A high figure compared to our neighbours, in particular thanks to our food.
The figures and curves published by INSEE on Wednesday April 5 are formal: the number of centenarians has increased on average by 8% per year since the 1970s. Our country now has 30,000 (i.e. 0.04% of the entire population), half of whom still live at home or with a relative.
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Those aged 100 and over are above all women, at 86%. In terms of longevity, diplomas have an advantage because having completed higher education doubles the probability of blowing out 100 candles. Who says long studies says, in general, a higher standard of living, which promotes access to care. In addition, graduates are less likely to work in physical or arduous occupations.
A temperate climate and a good diet
Another lesson given by Insee: the statistical probability of becoming a centenarian is higher in France than elsewhere in Europe. The ranking puts us in the lead, ahead of Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Portugal. The probability of becoming a centenarian in France is even twice as high as that of being 100 in Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom or the Netherlands. This can be explained by the fact that France ranks above the European average for life expectancy, especially for women, but also for men. On average, a Frenchwoman can expect to live 85 years and a Frenchman 79 years.
[#Centenaires] There #France is the #country #European which has the most centenarians. This high number partly reflects the fact that this country is one of the most populous, but it also reflects the fact that it is more likely than elsewhere to become #centenary
https://t.co/Sv7pf82umA pic.twitter.com/mDNqsI6l8j— Insee (@InseeFr) April 5, 2023
In addition to a health system that allows good management of cardiovascular diseases and cancers, this French longevity is also explained by our temperate climate and our eating habits. In France, the menus are rather varied and balanced. Globally, the Japanese rival us for the number of centenarians and the explanation is also to be found in their rather active lifestyle, at all ages, and their diet.
Should we conclude that human longevity is increasing? Not necessarily. Because 90% of centenarians are between 100 and 103 years old. Supercentenarians, those over 105, are rare. And the 122 years reached by the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment remain an exception at the world level.