French life expectancy falls for first time in years

LIFE expectancy in France fell in 2015 for the first time since the 1960s after years of continual increases.

Women can now expect to live 85 years and men 78.9, against 85.4 and 79.2 years previously.

Statistics agency Insee said the causes were linked to the ageing population as the ‘baby boom’ generation makes 18.8% of the population this year compared to 18.4 last year.

More significantly, a three-month flu epidemic in early 2015 plus the summer heatwave and a freezing October caused many early deaths – with 24,000 flu deaths alone.

In the UK and across Europe, average life expectancy rose, with men in the UK living until 78.8 and women 82.7.

This is better than the European average of 73 for men and 80 for women but while British men can expect to live as long as other Europeans, its women trail Spain (where the life expectancy is 85), France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Holland and Greece.