CSO figures show being a rich woman in Galway is key to long life
Fancy living longer? Good news if you are female or live in Galway — or both. New figures compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal that being female and well-off is the best recipe for a long life.
Women live three-and-a-half years longer than men, regardless of their social status or where they live. Life expectancy for women in Ireland now stands at 85.5 years, compared to 82 years for men.
The CSO study also shows that Galway city and its suburbs have the lowest mortality rates of any Irish city, followed by Dublin city centre and suburbs.
Statistician Carol Anne Hennessy said: “Those living in Galway and Dublin cities and their suburbs have a lower standardised death rate, 484 and 596 respectively per 100,000 persons compared to 722 per 100,000 persons for those residing in Cork City and suburbs.”
It also pays to be rich —or at least well-off. The research shows that those who live in the most affluent areas of Ireland live around four and a half to five years longer than those who live in deprived areas.
“Life expectancy varies by area of deprivation,” saidMs Hennessy.
“In 2016, the number of expected life years at birth was 84.4 and 87.7 years for males and females respectively in the least deprived areas, compared to 79.4 years and 83.2 years for those residing in the most deprived areas.”
The report also shows that being married, contrary to many perceptions, also contributes to a longer life and that divorce or separation can shorten it.
Managerial/technical and professional workers live longer than unskilled workers while those with a higher level of education can also expect a longer life.
