Life expectancy vs longevity, what's the difference?

Getting older is an unavoidable part of life, but there’s good news. Most people can expect to live much longer lives than previous generations. In fact, across the span of human history, life expectancy has almost tripled, with the current maximum lifespan being 122 years based on the longest known human life.¹ But while life expectancy and longevity relate to how many years you are alive, they actually refer to different things. 

We all want to live long and healthier lives, and understanding the differences between these concepts and what impacts them can help you make informed choices that positively impact your health and wellbeing and lifespan.

Understanding life expectancy

Life expectancy is an estimate of the average number of years a person is expected to live within a certain population, however most of these people will either live for fewer or more than this number of years.²,³ It is often given as a prediction from birth but it can be calculated at any age in a person's life.³ It’s based on factors,⁴ including:

• sex 
• diet
• genetics⁵
• geographical area
• quality of life⁶
• access to healthcare
• socioeconomic conditions 

For example, life expectancy tends to be higher in high-income countries compared to low-income countries and countries with publicly-funded healthcare tend to have higher life expectancies.⁷,⁸

Statistical measure of lifespan in a population

According to the Office for National Statistics, life expectancy at birth if you were born between 2020 and 2022 in the UK was 78.6 years for men and 82.6 years for women.³  In the UK for the past 40 years life expectancy has been mostly improving. The increases seen in life expectancy have slowed since 2011 and the 2000-2020 life expectancy at birth was lower than the few years before due to the Covid-19 pandemic.³ However, this doesn’t mean babies born since then will have shorter lives.⁹ The average lifespan is dictated by changes in mortality rates across an individual's lifetime.³ Therefore, if mortality rates reduce, the good news is that life expectancy will increase again.³

Life expectancy influencing factors

Several factors are key in determining how long you may live, ranging from lifestyle choices to genetics. We go through some of these factors below.

• Cigarettes and alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol intake are major contributors to premature death. Responsible for around 100,000 deaths each year in the UK, smoking reduces life expectancy by around ten years,⁹ while excessive alcohol consumption can shave off up to five years.¹⁰
• Diet. Eating a healthy, balanced diet such as suggested in the NHS Eatwell Guide is likely to increase life expectancy compared to an unhealthy diet.¹¹,¹²
• Physical activity. Doing enough regular exercise is linked to an improved life expectancy of between almost 2 years - 3.5 years for adults in the UK.¹³ 
• Genes. Genetics play a significant and complex role in how long you might live. However, research suggests that genetics are only responsible for around 10% of longevity.¹⁴
• Socioeconomic status. Your economic and social position is relative to others based on income, occupation and education. Studies show that people with lower socioeconomic status have a reduction of 2 years in their life expectancy compared to people with higher socioeconomic status.¹⁵
• Environment. Air pollution can negatively influence life expectancy.¹⁶
• Healthcare access. Greater access to quality, publicly funded care, including preventative services, treatments for chronic conditions and vaccinations, can extend life expectancy.¹⁷

Life expectancy for individual groups

Life expectancy can vary significantly among different groups due to various predetermined conditions. Let’s go through some factors below.

• Sex. Women typically live four years longer than men in the UK,³ with the reasons being complex and not fully understood but there is likely an element of social, behavioural and biological factors.¹⁹ However, women also live a higher percentage of their lives in poor health compared to men.⁴,¹⁹ The number of years spent in good, or very good health is known as your "Healthy Life Expectancy" and can have a big impact on quality of life.²⁰,²¹
• Location. Your expected lifespan can depend on where you live, both between different countries and within the same country.²² This is thought to be due to a range of factors including local socioeconomic status, healthcare provision and access, and the local environment.²²,²³ For example, in the UK, male life expectancy from 2020 to 2024 was highest in Hart in Hampshire and lowest in Blackpool with a 10 year gap between the two. For women in the same period, the highest life expectancy was in Kensington and Chelsea and the lowest in Blaenau Gwent, South Wales, with a 7.5 year difference.²⁴
• Ethnicity. This is complex and differs by country - for example, in the US, Black and American Indian or Alaska Native people have a lower life expectancy in comparison to White people.²⁵ In the UK, life expectancy before the Covid-19 pandemic was higher for ethnic minority groups compared to White or Mixed ethnicity groups but this was no longer the case by 2022 due to the pandemic.²⁶
• Occupation. A person's job can have an impact on their life expectancy, due to effects on socioeconomic status and increased risk of mortality for some jobs.²⁷ For instance, managers, health professionals and teachers have lower mortality rates than factory or construction workers.²⁸

What does longevity mean?

The term longevity typically means long life, but it is also used for living beyond the average life expectancy for your demographic.²⁹ This is different to life expectancy, which is an average estimate of how many years someone might live, based on the general population of that country.³ While genetics can play a part, as with life expectancy, lifestyle choices and proactive health and wellbeing measures can also significantly impact longevity.³⁰ This is why your lifestyle choices and looking after your wellbeing are so important. 

Individual lifespan or duration of life

Individual lifespan and duration of life refer to the length of time a person lives before they die. While there are different scientific opinions about the potential maximum human  lifespan,³¹ the longest lifespan ever reached by a human was 122 years¹ and in 2024 the world's current oldest living person is 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka from Japan.³²

How healthy lifestyle choices can impact longevity

It is of course impossible to change your genes, but where you can have a potential impact on your longevity is by making healthy lifestyle choices. Things to consider are:³³

• maintaining a healthy weight
• exercising regularly
• eating a healthy, balanced diet
• getting enough sleep
• avoiding harmful substances such as alcohol and recreational drugs
• not smoking 
• stress management
• maintaining strong social ties

How longevity can be influenced by proactive health choices

There are also plenty of proactive health choices that can increase your chances of living a long and healthy life.²¹ For example:

• Regular health checks³⁴
• Early detection and treatment of health conditions³⁵
• Vaccinations³⁶
• Preventative care³⁷
• Mental health care³⁸
• Creating a safe and healthy living environment³⁹

As we’ve seen, longevity relates to a long life and a person living longer than the average life expectancy for their population,²⁹ while life expectancy indicates the average number of years expected in a population. Longevity increases as more people live past their estimated life expectancies. By better understanding these concepts, you can make more informed proactive choices about your health and wellbeing and increase your chances of living a long and active life.

To find out more ways to improve your health and well-being for a longer life, download our H&B&Me app to set wellbeing goals and receive expert advice.

FAQs

Are longevity and life expectancy the same?

Longevity and life expectancy are not the same. Longevity refers to living beyond the average life expectancy for your demographic.²⁹ Life expectancy is the statistical measurement reflecting the average number of years a person is expected to live within a certain population.³

What is life expectancy versus healthy life expectancy?

Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live from that age onwards, often calculated at birth.³ Healthy life expectancy is the average number of years a person is likely to live in good, or very good health.²⁰

Is longevity measured by life expectancy at birth?

Yes, longevity is typically measured compared to life expectancy at birth.²⁹ Longevity refers to living a long life and living for longer than the average life expectancy for the person's population.²⁹

What is the meaning of longevity of life?

Longevity of life refers to the ability to live significantly longer than the average life expectancy, often due to factors like genetics, lifestyle, and healthcare advancements.⁵,³⁰

 

 

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