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MAP: Where in France do people have the longest life expectancy?

France generally does pretty well in European (and global) comparisons on life expectancy - but which French regions have the longest-living residents?

Published: 9 November 2023 16:45 CET
MAP: Where in France do people have the longest life expectancy?
Growing old in France appears to be a habit. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)

You might expect that the clear mountain air of the Alps would give inhabitants the longest life expectancy in France, or perhaps the sunny days and gentle winters of Provence – but in fact new data reveals that the place in France where people live the longest is the Paris region. 

Women in the greater Paris region of Île-de-France can expect to live 86.6 years old, while men have a life expectancy of 80.8 years. The overall average lifespan for the region is 83.8 years – above the national average of 82.4 and the highest in France, according to a study by European statistics body Eurostat.

But there might be something in that crystal clear mountain air – the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is second on Eurostat’s long-life list, with women in the region living 86.7 years, while men’s life expectancy is the same as for men in Île-de-France.

Corsica, which was ranked first in France for life expectancy in 2022, is now in third place after it saw life expectancy averages fall from 87 to 86.2 years for women, and from 84 to 80.6 years for men. 

The lowest average life expectancy in metropolitan France is in the northern Hauts-de-France region, the figures show, with the average lifespan of 83.8 years for women and 77.2 for men. 

The region was formerly France’s centre of heavy industry and coal mining, which may account for shorter life expectancy. 

Across the European regions, overall life expectancy at birth was 80.1 years, the study revealed – 82.9 years for women and 77.2 years for men. At the time of birth, females are expected to live longer in every region of the EU where data is available.

While Ile-de-France is the longest-lived area of France, it is not the longest lived region of Europe.

The highest life expectancy at birth for women is in Spain – in the  Comunidad de Madrid it is 88.2 years followed by Comunidad Foral de Navarra (87.6 years), Castilla y León (87.5 years), Cantabria (87.1 years), Galicia and País Vasco (both 87.0 years).

The highest figure for life expectancy at birth for men, 82.8 years, was recorded in the autonomous island region of Åland (Finland), followed by Comunidad de Madrid (82.2 years) and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (81.9) in Spain, then the Swedish regions of Stockholm (82.1 years) and Småland med öarna (81.9 years).

Life expectancy for men and women by region of France

Region Overall life expectancy Female life expectancy Male Life Expectancy
FRANCE 82.4 85.5 79.3
Ile de France 83.8 86.6 80.8
Centre Val de Loire 82.2 85.4 79.0
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 82.3 85.5 79.1
Normandie 81.6 84.9 78.2
Hauts-de-France 80.5 83.8 77.2
Grand Est 81.8 84.8 78.7
Pays-de-la-Loire 83.1 86.2 80.1
Bretagne 82.4 85.6 79.1
Nouvelle Aquitaine 82.7 85.8 79.6
Occitanie 82.9 85.8 79.9
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 83.4 86.4 80.4
PACA 82.4 85.4 79.4
Corsica 83.4 86.2 80.6

Member comments

  1. The official ONS statistics for life expectancy in the UK are 88 for women and 86 for men. This is somewhat better than anywhere in Europe. Astonishing!

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HEALTH

How to donate blood in France

Donating blood can help save lives - and authorities often issue appeals for donors around holiday periods, including the public holidays in May. If you want to donate in France, here is what you need to know.

Published: 24 April 2024 17:08 CEST
How to donate blood in France

Who can do it?

In order to donate blood (don du sang) in France, you must be aged between 18 and 71, and you must meet certain health and medical criteria, including being in good health and weighing at least 50kg. 

Most of the rules for donating blood are the same in France as they are in countries like the US and UK, but there are some specifics to be aware of. 

For example, you cannot donate blood if you lived in the UK for a cumulative total of at least 1 year between 1980 and 1996, which excludes many Brits from giving blood in France.

READ MORE: Is it true Brits are banned from giving blood in France?

Similarly, you cannot donate blood if you:

  • have undergone a transfusion or transplant
  • could transmit a disease (bacteria, virus or parasite) through your blood
  • could transmit a viral infection through sexual contact
  • had a piercing or tattoo in the last four months
  • are or were pregnant within the last six months
  • had sex with different or new partners in the last four months
  • or have taken intravenous drugs

If you are sick with the flu or a cold, you will likely be denied as well (those who had an infection or fever in the last two weeks). People who visited an area with high rates of malaria, who have survived cancer, or who had recent surgical and dental operations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To figure out if you are eligible you can take this quiz (in French).

You cannot be excluded from donating blood based on your sexual orientation – in March 2022 France lifted exclusions on gay men giving blood, saying the rule was no longer necessary and was unfair.

However, you can be excluded based on the health concerns listed above.

How does the process work?

In France, there is a three-step procedure.

First, you will complete a questionnaire assessing your ability to give blood. You will have a short interview with a medical professional who will determine if you are eligible. You have 15 days following the interview to follow-up and inform the medical professionals if there was anything you forgot to share. 

You can find a blood donation centre on this interactive map. Click on a centre to make an appointment. Keep in mind you will need to bring ID along.

The amount of time it takes to give blood depends on whether you are donating whole blood, plasma, or platelets (more on this below). 

After the donation, you will rest briefly and be given a light snack. If there were any abnormalities with your blood, then you will be contacted once it is analysed.

Can you be paid?

No, you cannot be paid. All types of blood donation are considered to be voluntary, unpaid acts in France – your reward is that post-donation snack, plus the priceless knowledge that you may have saved someone’s life.

Blood vs. plasma vs. platelets

A whole blood donation (don de sang total) collects three essential components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. However, you can also donate plasma or platelets individually. 

The procedures take different amounts of time, and there are also different intervals between donations you should keep in mind. 

Whole blood donations are used for blood transfusions and medical research, and the volume taken will depend on your weight and height. These take about eight to 10 minutes for the blood collection, though you should allow for 45 minutes to an hour for the medical interview beforehand, plus rest and snack time afterwards.

Men can give a whole blood donation a maximum of six times a year, while women can give four times a year. There should be at least eight weeks between donations.

Plasma donations (don de plasma) yield two to four more times the plasma taken during a normal whole blood donation – these are usually used for special transfusions. It will take a maximum of one hour for the donation, but you should allow closer to an hour and 30 minutes. 

For plasma, both men and women can give a plasma a maximum of 24 times in one year. The interval between donations should be at least two weeks.

Donating platelets (don de plaquettes) helps to treat certain cancers, including leukaemia. This process takes a bit longer – closer to an hour and 30 minutes for the collection, so allow two hours for the whole process.

For platelets, men and women can both give a maximum of 12 times per year. The interval should be four weeks between donations.

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