Lorraine Williamson
The average life expectancy in Spain in 2022 was 83.1 years. This is according to a report published by the Ministry of Health on Monday on in 2022, which states that it is a tenth less than the year before.
The data – which have recovered somewhat after the pandemic, but have not yet reached the old level – also show that there is a difference of more than five years between the Community of Madrid (85.2 years) and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla (80.1 years). But what are the figures for the other regions?
The Spaniards with the highest life expectancy – after the inhabitants of Madrid – live in Navarre. On average, the inhabitants live to be 83.9 years old. This is followed by Castile and Leon (83.8); Catalonia (83.6); Basque Country (83.6); and Castile-La Mancha (83.4). The Galicians also have a life expectancy of 83.4 years and the inhabitants of La Rioja 83.2 years. In Aragon and Cantabria it is 83.0 years, while in the Balearic Islands and in the Valencian Community, it is 82.9 and 82.6 years respectively.
After Ceuta and Melilla, life expectancy is lowest in Andalucia (81.9, followed by Murcia (82.0); the Canary Islands (82.0); Extremadura (82.4); and Asturias (82.5).
The biggest risers and fallers
Life expectancy has increased in four autonomous communities, decreased in eleven communities and remained the same in two communities. Surprisingly, Ceuta and Melilla were the biggest risers. In the autonomous cities, the increase was 0.6 years compared to the figures for 2021. They were followed by Madrid, with an increase of 0.3 years, and Castile-La Mancha, the Valencian Community and Extremadura. The last three regions recorded an increase of 0.2 years.
The communities where life expectancy fell the most were the Canary Islands, with a decrease of 1.2 years, and Cantabria, with a decrease of one year. Life expectancy fell by 0.8 years in Navarre and by 0.7 years in the Balearic Islands. In Aragon, Asturias, Castile and Leon, Galicia and the Basque Country there was a decrease of 0.4 years, while in Murcia the decrease was 0.3 years. The Community of Madrid was the region where life expectancy declined the least. The decline was only 0.1 years. In Catalonia and La Rioja, life expectancy remained the same.
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