Health expectancy; since 1981

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Health expectancy; since 1981
Sex Age (at December 31) Type of figure Periods Life expectancy (years) Life expectancy in perceived good health (years) Life exp. without physical limitations LE without moderate, severe limitations (years) Life exp. without chronic morbidity LE without chronic morbidity (years) Life expectancy in good mental health (years) Life expectancy without GALI-limitations Life expectancy without GALI-limitations (years)
Total male and female 0 year Percentage/average 2021 81.35 65.2 72.9 43.9 70.9 58.7
Total male and female 0 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 . 0.4 . .
Total male and female 1 year Percentage/average 2021 81.10 64.9 72.6 43.6 70.6 58.4
Total male and female 1 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 . 0.4 . 0.4
Total male and female 5 years Percentage/average 2021 77.15 61.1 68.7 39.8 66.7 54.5
Total male and female 5 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 . 0.4 . 0.4
Total male and female 10 years Percentage/average 2021 72.18 56.2 63.7 35.3 61.7 49.9
Total male and female 10 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Total male and female 15 years Percentage/average 2021 67.21 51.5 58.8 31.0 56.9 45.4
Total male and female 15 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Total male and female 20 years Percentage/average 2021 62.26 47.1 54.0 27.5 52.9 41.0
Total male and female 20 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.3
Total male and female 25 years Percentage/average 2021 57.35 43.0 49.2 24.2 49.1 37.0
Total male and female 25 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3
Total male and female 30 years Percentage/average 2021 52.44 38.7 44.5 21.1 45.1 33.0
Total male and female 30 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3
Total male and female 35 years Percentage/average 2021 47.56 34.7 39.8 18.0 41.1 29.2
Total male and female 35 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3
Total male and female 40 years Percentage/average 2021 42.70 30.6 35.1 14.9 36.9 25.2
Total male and female 40 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3
Total male and female 45 years Percentage/average 2021 37.88 26.7 30.5 12.3 32.9 21.6
Total male and female 45 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3
Total male and female 50 years Percentage/average 2021 33.16 22.9 26.2 9.8 28.8 18.0
Total male and female 50 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3
Total male and female 55 years Percentage/average 2021 28.56 19.4 22.2 7.4 25.0 15.0
Total male and female 55 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Total male and female 60 years Percentage/average 2021 24.12 15.9 18.3 5.5 21.1 12.1
Total male and female 60 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Total male and female 65 years Percentage/average 2021 19.90 13.0 14.7 3.9 17.6 9.6
Total male and female 65 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Total male and female 70 years Percentage/average 2021 15.95 10.1 11.1 2.8 14.0 7.2
Total male and female 70 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Total male and female 75 years Percentage/average 2021 12.29 7.4 7.8 2.0 10.7 5.0
Total male and female 75 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Total male and female 80 years Percentage/average 2021 9.02 4.8 5.1 1.2 7.7 2.9
Total male and female 80 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Male 0 year Percentage/average 2021 79.68 65.4 73.4 47.2 71.6 59.8
Male 0 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 . 0.5 . .
Male 1 year Percentage/average 2021 79.44 65.1 73.1 46.9 71.3 59.5
Male 1 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 . 0.5 . 0.5
Male 5 years Percentage/average 2021 75.50 61.3 69.2 43.2 67.4 55.7
Male 5 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 . 0.5 . 0.5
Male 10 years Percentage/average 2021 70.52 56.5 64.2 38.7 62.4 51.1
Male 10 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5
Male 15 years Percentage/average 2021 65.56 51.8 59.2 34.3 57.5 46.7
Male 15 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5
Male 20 years Percentage/average 2021 60.62 47.3 54.4 30.3 53.0 42.1
Male 20 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5
Male 25 years Percentage/average 2021 55.74 43.1 49.6 26.6 49.1 38.1
Male 25 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.4
Male 30 years Percentage/average 2021 50.86 38.8 44.9 23.2 44.8 33.8
Male 30 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Male 35 years Percentage/average 2021 45.99 34.5 40.0 19.5 40.6 29.8
Male 35 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Male 40 years Percentage/average 2021 41.15 30.5 35.4 16.0 36.5 25.8
Male 40 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Male 45 years Percentage/average 2021 36.36 26.5 30.7 13.0 32.4 22.0
Male 45 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4
Male 50 years Percentage/average 2021 31.67 22.5 26.3 10.3 28.3 18.1
Male 50 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3
Male 55 years Percentage/average 2021 27.11 18.8 22.3 7.7 24.4 14.8
Male 55 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3
Male 60 years Percentage/average 2021 22.74 15.5 18.4 5.8 20.5 11.8
Male 60 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3
Male 65 years Percentage/average 2021 18.57 12.6 14.8 4.1 16.9 9.4
Male 65 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3
Male 70 years Percentage/average 2021 14.71 9.7 11.2 3.0 13.4 7.0
Male 70 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3
Male 75 years Percentage/average 2021 11.20 7.2 8.1 2.2 10.2 4.8
Male 75 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3
Male 80 years Percentage/average 2021 8.10 4.7 5.2 1.2 7.3 2.7
Male 80 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3
Female 0 year Percentage/average 2021 82.99 65.1 72.4 40.5 70.1 57.6
Female 0 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 . 0.6 . .
Female 1 year Percentage/average 2021 82.73 64.8 72.1 40.2 69.8 57.3
Female 1 year Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 . 0.6 . 0.5
Female 5 years Percentage/average 2021 78.78 60.9 68.2 36.5 65.9 53.4
Female 5 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 . 0.6 . 0.5
Female 10 years Percentage/average 2021 73.81 56.0 63.2 31.8 60.9 48.7
Female 10 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.5
Female 15 years Percentage/average 2021 68.83 51.1 58.4 27.6 56.2 44.1
Female 15 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5
Female 20 years Percentage/average 2021 63.87 46.9 53.6 24.6 52.7 40.0
Female 20 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5
Female 25 years Percentage/average 2021 58.93 42.8 48.7 21.8 49.1 35.8
Female 25 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5
Female 30 years Percentage/average 2021 53.99 38.6 44.1 19.1 45.3 32.1
Female 30 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5
Female 35 years Percentage/average 2021 49.09 34.8 39.5 16.5 41.5 28.6
Female 35 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5
Female 40 years Percentage/average 2021 44.20 30.7 34.8 13.8 37.3 24.6
Female 40 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.5
Female 45 years Percentage/average 2021 39.37 27.0 30.3 11.7 33.3 21.2
Female 45 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4
Female 50 years Percentage/average 2021 34.61 23.2 26.1 9.4 29.3 17.9
Female 50 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4
Female 55 years Percentage/average 2021 29.96 20.0 22.2 7.2 25.6 15.1
Female 55 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4
Female 60 years Percentage/average 2021 25.45 16.3 18.2 5.3 21.7 12.3
Female 60 years Standard errors 2021 . 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table represents five variants of health expectancies:
-life expectancy in perceived good health.
-life expectancy without physical limitations.
-life expectancy without chronic morbidity.
-life expectancy in good mental health.
-life expectancy without GALI-limitations
In addition, figures of 'normal' life expectancy are included, so the figures of health expectancy can be related to them.
In the table, the data on health expectancy can be split into the following characteristics:
-sex (starting from the data of 2018, the category ‘total, men + women’ is added).
-age.

Using this table one can see the developments over time of health expectancies. For example it can be seen that morbidity free life expectancy of women shortened during the eighties and nineties.
In the same period the life expectancy free of moderate and severe limitations of men increased.

Data available from: 1981

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are definitive.

Changes as of 15 July 2022:
The figures of 2021 are added.

When will new figures be published?
Third quarter of 2023.

Description topics

Life expectancy
The number of years someone of a certain age is expected to live,
according to a life table, assuming that the mortality chances will not
change in the future.
Life expectancy in perceived good health
The number of years a person of a certain age can (still) expect to live
in perceived good health.
The following survey question is used to calculate the life expectancy in
perceived good health:
How is your health in general?
People answering 'good' or 'very good' are considered healthy.
The data of the years 1981 and 1982 have been repaired. More information
about this repair can be found in the table explanation.
Life exp. without physical limitations
The number of years a person of a certain age can (still) expect to live
without physical limitations.
To calculate this life expectancy, physical limitations in the domains of
hearing, seeing and moving are being used. The following questions are
used to calculate the life expectancy without physical limitations:
-Can you follow a conversation in a group of 3 or more persons (using
hearing aid if needed)?
-Can you have a conversation with one other person (using hearing aid if
needed)?
-Can you see newspaper print
(using glasses or lenses if needed)?
-Can you recognize someone's face from a distance of 4 metres (using
glasses or lenses if needed)?
-Can you carry an object of 5 kilo's (e.g. a filled shopping bag) over a
distance of 10 metres?
-Can you, when you stand, lean down and pick something of the floor?
-Can you walk for 400 meters without rest (using a walking stick if
needed)?
These questions have the following answer categories:
-yes, without difficulty
-yes, with some difficulty
-yes, with a lot of difficulty
-no, I can not do that
For the calculation of the life expectancy without severe physical
limitations a respondent is considered to be physical limited when at
least 1 question is answered with 'no, I can not do that'.
For the calculation of the life expectancy without moderate or severe
physical limitations a respondent is considered to be physical limited
when at least 1 question is answered with 'no, I can not do that' or 'yes,
with a lot of difficulty'.
For the calculation of the life expectancy without light, moderate or
severe physical limitations a respondent is considered to be physical
limited when at least 1 question is answered with 'no, I can not do that',
'yes, with a lot of difficulty' or 'yes, with some difficulty.
The data of the years 1983 through 1988 have been repaired. More
information about this repair can be found in the table explanation.
The questions about physical limitations are only asked to people aged 12
and older. In the calculation of the life expectancy without physical
limitations is therefore assumed that these limitations do not occur to
people younger than 12.
LE without moderate, severe limitations
Life exp. without chronic morbidity
The number of years a person of a certain age can (still) expect to live
without chronic morbidity.
The calculation of the life expectancy without chronic morbidity uses a
selection of diseases of which is known that they can lead to death or
that they have a severe impact on the quality of life. The following
(clusters of) diseases are used:
-Asthma, chronic bronchitis
-Heart condition
-Stroke
-Hypertension
-Disturbance of stomach-intestines
-Diabetes
-Disorder of the back
-Rheumatic or joint disorder
-Migraine
-Cancer
People are considered to be chronically diseased when they indicate to
suffer from at least one of these diseases, within the last 12 months.
The questions on chronic diseases are being asked at persons of 0 years
or older. However, there are some exceptions. The questions on heart
diseases, stroke, hypertension and joint degeneration are only being
asked at persons of 12 years and older. In the calculation of life
expectancy without chronic morbidity it is therefore assumed that these
diseases do not occur amongst persons younger than 12 years.
The data of the years 1981 through 2000 have been repaired. More
information about this repair can be found in the table explanation.
LE without chronic morbidity
The number of years a person of a certain age can (still) expect to live
without chronic morbidity.
The calculation of the life expectancy without chronic morbidity uses a
selection of diseases of which is known that they can lead to death or
that they have a severe impact on the quality of life. The following
(clusters of) diseases are used:
-Asthma, chronic bronchitis
-Heart condition
-Stroke
-Hypertension
-Disturbance of stomach-intestines
-Diabetes
-Disorder of the back
-Rheumatic or joint disorder
-Migraine
-Cancer
People are considered to be chronically diseased when they indicate to
suffer from at least one of these diseases, within the last 12 months.
The questions on chronic diseases are being asked at persons of 0 years
or older. However, there are some exceptions. The questions on heart
diseases, stroke, hypertension and joint degeneration are only being
asked at persons of 12 years and older. In the calculation of life
expectancy without chronic morbidity it is therefore assumed that these
diseases do not occur amongst persons younger than 12 years.
The data of the years 1981 through 2000 have been repaired. More
information about this repair can be found in the table explanation.
Life expectancy in good mental health
The number of years a person of a certain age can (still) expect to live
in good mental health.
The calculation of mental health is based on the scores on the Mental
Health Inventory (MHI-5). Therefore the following questions of the health
survey are used:
During the past 4 weeks, how much of the time.:
-Have you been a very nervous person?
-Did you feel depressed?
-Have you felt calm and peaceful?
-Have you felt downhearted and blue?
-Were you a happy person?
The possible answers to these questions are: 'all of the time', 'most of
the time', 'a good bit of the time', 'some of the time', 'a little of the
time' and 'non of the time'. Positively phrased questions are scored
respectively 5,4,3,2,1 and 0. Negatively phrased questions are scored
0,1,2,3,4 and 5. For every respondent a sum score is being calculated
which is multiplied by 4. Therefore the minimum score of a person is 0
(very unhealthy) and the maximum score is 100 (perfectly healthy. Every
respondent with a score of 60 or more is considered to be healthy.
The questions of the Mental Health Inventory are only asked to people
aged 12 and older. In the calculation of the life expectancy in good
mental health therefore the assumption is made that children younger than
12 years have the same prevalence of mental unhealthiness as people of 12
through 14 years.
Life expectancy without GALI-limitations
GALI means Global Activity Limitations Indicator. The life expectancy without GALI-limitations is the variant of health expectancy that Eurostat defines as ‘Healthy Life Years’. That official European figure on Healthy Life Years is based on data from the European Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and can therefore differ slightly from the figures presented in this table. The figures in this table are based on the Health Survey.
To calculate the life expectancy without GALI-limitations the answers on the following questions of the Health Survey 2014 are used:
-To what extent are you (is your child), due to problems with your (his or her) health, limited in activities people usually do?
-Does this limitation already last for at least half a year?
From 2014 onwards the following survey question is used:
-Since 6 months or longer, to what extent are you (is your child), due to problems with your (his or her) health, limited in activities people (children) usually do?
Answer categories:
-Severely limited
-Limited, but not severely
-Not limited at all.
For the calculation of the life expectancy without GALI-limitations a respondent is considered to be limited when the question is answered with 'severely limited' or ‘limited, but not severely’.
For the calculation of the life expectancy without severe GALI-limitations a respondent is considered to be limited when the question is answered with 'severely limited'.
The questions on GALI-limitations are only asked to persons of 2 years or older. In the calculation of the life expectancy without GALI-limitations, the assumption is made that these limitations do not occur amongst children aged 0 and 1 year.
Life expectancy without GALI-limitations