14 avril 2023
With a tripling of the number of centenarians over the past 50 years, France is the European champion in this area. According to INSEE figures published on April 5, out of 30,000 centenarians, only 14% of them are men. Explanations with the demographer Jean-Marie Robine, emeritus research director at Inserm and member of the scientific council of the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SFGG).
Why does France have more centenarians than its European neighbours?
Jean-Marie Robine : Among women, France has one of the best life expectancies after 85 in Europe for a very long time. Three Mediterranean countries are vying for this title: Italy, Spain and France. Among the criteria recognized as having an essential influence on the chances of becoming a centenarian, we know that one must belong to a formerly developed country, such as France, England or Japan. Another criterion: living in a country governed by social democracy, where access to healthcare and education are free. We then find France, Spain, Italy and Japan. This is not the case in England or the United States, where it is very expensive.
Spain and Italy are also in a good position in terms of life expectancy. Does longevity also have to do with the climate?
J.-M. R. : The climate and food would indeed be the last two factors that make the difference. The Mediterranean climate is neither too hot nor too cold and the food is very good compared to other parts of the world. A hundred winters on the shores of the Mediterranean are much less harsh for organisms than a hundred winters in the countries of northern Europe. And the food around the Mediterranean is rich in great diversity, with fruits, vegetables and fish.
86% of French centenarians are women. How to explain such a difference between men and women?
J.-M. R. : The gap in France, between men and women, is more pronounced than elsewhere, for several historical reasons. Traditionally, women stayed at home, taking care of household chores and children, while men went out to work and were exposed to outside risks. In addition, and this is specific to France, until the 1960s and 70s, men suffered considerable excess mortality due to very high alcoholism, also linked to violence, accidents at work, cardio disorders -vascular… These differences are now tending to smooth out and balance out, but very slowly.
According to INSEE figures, there are twice as many centenarians among higher education graduates as among non-graduates. For what ?
J.-M. R. : We know that mortality rates are linked to the level of education; the more educated you are, the better you know how to manage your health and take the necessary steps in the event of poor health. Life expectancy varies considerably depending on level of education, occupation and level of wealth. For centenarians, it must be understood that being a graduate did not have the same meaning as today. To be high school graduates at the time meant being educated, but also being bourgeois and having comfortable financial means. The non-graduates were workers or worked in the peasantry.
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Source : Insee. Interview with Jean-Marie Robine, Emeritus Research Director at Inserm, Scientific Advisor to the National Institute for Demographic Studies and the SFGG
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Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Vincent Roche