Australia beats likes of UK and US in life expectancy

Australia’s life expectancy is now the sixth highest among the world’s leading economic countries, a new study shows, and surprisingly it’s well above that of other powerful nations, including the Mother Country.

AUSTRALIA’S life expectancy at birth is 82.5 years — the sixth highest among OECD countries and well above the likes of the United Kingdom and United States — new data reveals.

Life expectancy has improved dramatically for both Australian males and females over the last century — in the early 1960s men could expect to live to 67.9 and women 74.2. This is now 80.4 and 84.6, respectively.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s International Health Data Comparisons, 2018, report shows the United States had one of the lowest life expectancies at 78.6 years while the UK’s was 83.2 years.

Both powerful nations were below the OECD average of 83.3 years.

Japan had the highest life expectancy at 84.1 years and Latvia the lowest — 74.7 years.

Australia also had the fourth highest proportion of people rating their health as “good” or “very good”.

Australia had the fourth highest proportion of people rating their health as "good" or "very good" across OECD countries. Personal Trainer Dell Farrell, 28. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Despite this our battle with the bulge and booze continues.

Consumption of pure alcohol was higher in Australia than the OECD average, at 9.7 litres per person aged 15 plus in 2015.

And we had the third highest rate of overweight and obese men across the countries, 71%, behind the US and Chile.

We were one of 20 countries in which 100% of the total population was covered by public or private health insurance.

The median waiting time from specialist assessment to treatment for hysterectomy in Australia was above the average, at 55 days, compared with the 50 day average.

The report also examined the pay rate of health professionals and found self-employed GPs in Australia had the lowest income per average wage compared with 15 other countries.

Gold Coast personal trainer Dell Farrell said she was not surprised Australia rated so highly in term of life expectancy.

“I’ve travelled a lot and the difference is noticeable,” she said.

“The weather is great here so we have a good opportunity get outside and exercise and get sunlight and there’s just a really good health and fitness culture, especially here on the Gold Coast,” she said.

“So the environment really supports good health — especially if you want to the beach with your shirt off.”

Ms Farrell, 28, said she had noticed more and more people taking an active interest in their health.

“I think people are getting better access to good information so are more able to improve their heath,” she said.

“Things like strength training rather than just going for a run will have a better health outcome and are more sustainable long-term.”