Bulgaria Ranks Second in the EU for Healthy Life Expectancy Among Women - What’s Behind the Numbers?

According to the latest Eurostat figures, Bulgarian women rank among the European Union’s healthiest, with life expectancy in good health trailing only that of women in Malta. This places Bulgaria in second place across the bloc, surpassing Italy.

On average, Bulgarian women enjoy more than three years of healthy life compared to men, marking one of the most pronounced gender gaps in the EU. In 2023, the EU-wide healthy life expectancy from birth stands at 63.3 years for women and 62.8 years for men. For Bulgarian women, this equates to roughly three-quarters of their total life expectancy of 84 years, while men’s healthy years cover about four-fifths of their 79-year life expectancy.

Eurostat data indicate that women are expected to live longer healthy lives than men in 17 EU countries, although men tend to spend a larger proportion of their shorter lives without activity restrictions. Among men, the longest healthy lifespans are seen in Malta, Italy, and Sweden, while Latvia, Estonia, and Slovakia have the lowest figures.

For women, Malta tops the list, followed closely by Bulgaria and Italy. The shortest healthy life expectancy for women is recorded in Latvia, Denmark, and Finland. Notably, Bulgaria is among the few countries, alongside Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, where women enjoy more than three additional healthy years compared with men. The Netherlands is the only EU nation where men’s healthy life expectancy exceeds women’s by more than three years.

Eurostat cautions that these figures reflect not only actual health outcomes but also individuals’ self-perception of their health, shaped by cultural and social factors.