Singapore Leads in Life Expectancy, But Health Span Lags

Singapore boasts the world's highest life expectancy, with its citizens projected to live beyond 85 years. This longevity is attributed to comprehensive long-term policies encompassing healthcare, social protection, and evidence-based governance, according to Dr. Mari Ng, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

Despite the impressive lifespan, a new study published in The Lancet Public Health reveals a significant 'morbidity gap.' Residents of Singapore are expected to spend an average of 11.2 years of their lives battling health problems. This means that while people are living longer, they are not necessarily living healthier lives in their later years.

Globally, the gap between total life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is widening. While average life expectancy rose from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 years in 2023, healthy life expectancy has not seen a parallel increase. On average, adults now spend about one in seven years of their lives in poor health.

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Longevity in Singapore is the result of thoughtful long-term policy, not a single factor.

The study also highlights a gender disparity. Women globally live longer than men but spend significantly more years in ill health. The difference between total and healthy life expectancy is 12.1 years for women compared to 9.3 years for men. In Singapore, this gap is even more pronounced, with women spending 21.1 years in poor health compared to men's 10.4 years, despite living only 4.4 years longer overall.

Dr. Julian Mac, a researcher at King's College London not involved in the study, noted that the paradox of women living longer but experiencing more years of ill health is a long-standing observation that requires further explanation. The research also identified the United States as having the highest number of years spent in ill health, exceeding 14 years on average, followed by Australia and Canada.

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This study once again shows that this issue needs much more attention.