Do you really know?

Why do women live longer than men?

Jan 27, 2025

Why do women outlive men? The discussion dives into fascinating behavioral and biological reasons behind this gender gap in life expectancy. Risky behaviors, like dangerous driving and fighting, often land men in life-threatening situations more than women. Hormonal influences also play a crucial role, with estrogen and testosterone impacting health in significant ways. Intrigued? The analysis spans countries and even looks at trends in other species, shedding light on a compelling aspect of human life!

04:13

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Behavioral risks such as life-threatening activities and unhealthy habits significantly reduce men's life expectancy compared to women.

Biological factors, particularly the effects of testosterone and estrogen, play a crucial role in the longevity gap between genders.

Deep dives

Life Expectancy Disparities Between Genders

Women tend to live longer than men, with the life expectancy at birth in the UK being 82.9 years for women compared to 79 years for men. This trend is consistent across various countries and can also be observed in other species of mammals. Various factors contribute to this disparity, including behavioral risks such as men being more prone to engage in life-threatening activities and unhealthy habits, including smoking and excessive drinking. These behaviors significantly impact men’s longevity and are underscored by research indicating that men, due to these practices, may have a reduced life expectancy overall.

Exploring the Gender Gap in Life Expectancy

4min

In the period from 2018 to 2020, the life expectancy at birth for women in the UK was 82.9 years, while it was just 79 for men. That’s according to data from the Office of National Statistics. And that disparity is a common trend across various countries and even among certain other species of mammals, like great apes.

There certainly are, and they span both biological and behavioral factors. Dr. Perminder Sachdev is a professor of neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Talking to Time.com for an article published on the subject in 2019, he highlighted that men are more likely to take “life-threatening risks” which could lead to them dying, in a fight for example, or a car accident resulting from driving too fast.

What kind of differences are we talking about? What about the impact of female hormones? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

What are the biggest misconceptions on beating heatwaves?

What are the health benefits of using sex toys?

Which foods should I avoid after their expiry date?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 29/1/2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices