After three years of the pandemic, life expectancy in the European Union has fallen. According to Eurostat, it reached 80.1 compared to 81.3 in 2019. Romania remains at the bottom of the ranking. The new life expectancy figures come at the height of a debate in several parts of Europe, including Romania, over further increases in the retirement age.

In many European countries, the increase in life expectancy is putting additional pressure on public pension systems. Many governments have decided to raise the retirement age by relating the threshold to life expectancyPhoto: Inquam Photos / Bohdan-Ioan Buda

On March 16, 2023, despite protests and strikes, the French government pushed its pension reform through a constitutional amendment to avoid putting it to a vote in parliament.

Almost 100 years ago, the average life expectancy of Romanians was about 42 years. Children born in Romania in 2020 now have a life expectancy of over 75 years. But as life expectancy increases, so does the retirement age. In other words, the longer you live, the later you retire.

Currently, in two-thirds of EU countries, life expectancy at birth exceeds 80 years. In Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania it remains around 75 years, and these three countries are at the bottom of the European ranking.

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