Gender Gap in Life Expectancy in Poland

The gender gap in life expectancy in Poland is much wider compared to most of the other members of the European Union, including members with a common socialist past. This wide gap has not changed substantially over the past 34 years, despite the success of the economic transition in Poland and steady growth in the overall life expectancy from 71 years in 1990 to 76 years in 2021. The disparities between men and women in Poland are particularly dramatic when examining the propensity to engage in risk-taking and hazardous activities or taking up addictions. The most serious consequence of these behaviours are excessive numbers of deaths, particularly among men, that could have been prevented. It seems clear that preventive health campaigns need to be improved and extended in Poland and that more needs to be done with a specific focus on gender disparities.

The full Report including a general overview of the socio-economic implications of the gender gap in longevity by Lev Lvovsky (BEROC) is available here.

Reports from Belarus, Georgia and Latvia are available in English here.