Words by

grapevine

Women born in Iceland in recent years can expect to live a little over 83 years, surpassing their male counterparts by about four years.
According to figures from Statistics Iceland, women born from 2006 to 2010 can expect to reach 83.1 years of age. Men born in the same period will average a lifespan of 79.4 years. For those born in 2011, these women will live to 83.6 years, and men to 79.9 years.
Overall, Icelandic men have the third longest lives among Europeans. In 2010, the expected lifespan of an Icelandic male was 79.5 years. The Swiss edged out the Icelanders in that category, however, with their men living to 79.9 years. The men with the shortest lifespans in Europe live in the Ukraine (62 years), Russia (62.8 years) and Belarus (64.7 years).
At the same time, Icelandic women have only the ninth longest lifespans in Europe. That honour goes to Spain, whose women live on average to 85.3 years, surpassing the 2010 average for Icelandic women, 83.5 years. Following the Spanish are France (85 years) and Switzerland (84.6 years). The shortest lifespans for women are in Moldova (73.4 years) and the Ukraine (74.3 years).
Infant mortality in Europe is still lowest in Iceland. In 2010, there were only 2.2 infant deaths per every 1,000 births. The Finns come close, at 2.3 per 1,000, while most northern European countries had infant mortality rates ranging from 2.5 to 3.4 per 1,000. Infant mortality was highest in Turkey, at 13.2 deaths per 1,000.