Years and years: why southern Europeans are so long-lived

年复一年:为何南欧人如此长寿

Editor's Picks from The Economist

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2024-06-27

7 分钟
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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. A recent report on longevity found that southern Europeans are projected to do surprisingly well. Diet, exercise and urban planning may explain why.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • The Economist Hello, I'm Rosie Bloor.

  • I host The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.

  • Welcome to Editor's Picks.

  • Here's an article we've chosen from the latest edition of The Economist.

  • The Calle de Jordan, a short street in central Madrid,

  • encompasses the entire cycle of human life.

  • On one block is a fertility clinic.

  • an increasingly common sight in a country obsessed by its shortage of babies.

  • A block further down is a day centre for pensioners advertising services like memory training and help with mobility.

  • It is common to see women in their 60s gently leading their 90-something mothers up to the door.

  • The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington recently issued projections for longevity by country in 2050.

  • Among the top 20

  • for living to a ripe old age are rich ones like Switzerland and Singapore.

  • East Asia is also represented by South Korea and Japan, long-time longevity leaders.

  • But a geographic cluster of relatively poorer countries are also conducive to longer lives.

  • Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.

  • Three nearby microstates, San Marino, Malta and Andorra, make the top 22.

  • The oldest person alive is a Spanish woman,

  • María Brañas Moreira, 117, who succeeded a French one.

  • Health and long life correlate unsurprisingly with GDP per capita.