The bar charts compare the average ages of men and women in seven European countries in 2004 and 2008.
Overall, Sweden recorded the highest average ages for both genders, whereas France had the lowest figures. Average ages generally increased over the period, although slight declines were observed among women in France and Italy, while the figure for men in Italy remained unchanged.
Turning first to men, Sweden recorded the highest average age in both years, rising from approximately 63.2 to 63.6 years. The Netherlands ranked second, with the figure increasing from around 62.7 to 63 years. The UK followed a similar pattern, experiencing a modest rise from approximately 62.6 to 62.9 years. Germany saw a more noticeable increase, with the average age climbing from 61 to 62 years. Meanwhile, Denmark’s figure rose from around 62 to 62.6 years, while France experienced a smaller increase, from approximately 58.7 to 59 years. By contrast, Italy was the only country where the figure remained stable at 60 years.
A similar pattern was evident among women, with Sweden and the Netherlands recording the highest figures. Sweden’s average rose from approximately 63 to 63.5 years, while the corresponding figure for the Netherlands increased from around 62 to 62.5 years. Denmark and the UK also experienced increases, reaching about 60.5 and 61.7 years, respectively, in 2008. Germany followed an upward trend, with the figure climbing from roughly 60.5 to 61 years. In contrast, France and Italy were the only countries to register declines, albeit slight ones: France fell from approximately 58.8 to 58.6 years, while Italy’s figure decreased from 60 to around 59.6 years.