Brussels – In 2024, 40 percent of people aged 65 and over in the European Union described their health as very good or good. Data presented by the EU Statistical Office, Eurostat – on the occasion of World Health Day, celebrated every 7 April by the World Health Organisation (WHO) – describe the perception of health as a subjective concept, influenced not only by actual clinical conditions but also by the social, economic, and psychological context in which one lives. The report highlights a clear trend: although the majority of Europeans feel generally fit, this perception changes drastically with advancing age. In 2024, over two-thirds of the total EU population (68.5 percent) rated their health as “very good” or “good.” At the other end of the scale, only 8.5 percent of people described their health as “poor” or “very poor,” while the remaining 23.0 percent rated it as “fair.” These figures suggest a general sense of well-being across the continent, reflecting the quality of life and the effectiveness of national healthcare systems.
However, when the data are analyzed by age group, a gradual, steady decline in self-perceived health becomes apparent. Up to the age of 65, most people continue to consider themselves in good health: among young people aged between 16 and 24, the proportion of those who feel well or very well peaks at 91.3 percent, but this percentage falls progressively to 61.1 percent in the 55 to 64 age group and to 40 percent for people aged 65 and over.
There are also significant differences among Member States regarding the elderly population. Ireland tops the rankings with 62.0 percent of those aged 65 or older reporting good health, followed by Belgium (57.4 percent) and Luxembourg (56.8 percent). These countries show a perception of well-being in old age that is well above the European average, suggesting particularly effective models of active aging. On the other hand, in some Eastern and Southern European countries, the situation appears worrying. In Lithuania, only 12.5 percent of older people rate their health positively, a figure that rises slightly to 13.1 percent in Latvia and 19.1 percent in Portugal.
Italy ranks just above average, with 42.7 percent of people aged 65 and over reporting a good perception of their health, behind Spain (44.4 percent) and France (44.2 percent).
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
