Spain, top ranked between developed countries in life expectancy

According to a recent research made by the OECD, the Spanish citizens present the best health indicators among developed countries in life expectancy, infant mortality and road traffic accidents.

The Organization for cooperation and economic development (OECD) has presented the Health Report Panorama 2013 Edition (Health at Glance). The study’s conclusions for Spain reveal that, in general, the health state for Spanish citizens is pretty good, in terms of life expectancy and infant mortality, indicators in which Spain is above the average between the 34 countries of the OECD. In particular, those born in Spain have an 82.4 year life expectancy years, the second highest in the European Union, after Italy (82.7). The Spanish women expect to live 6 years longer than men. In Spain, 6.5% of citizens from 20 to 79 years have diabetes, compared with 7% of the average of developed countries.

Infant mortality in Spain is also below the average: 3.2 deaths in children under one year per 1,000 live births in our country, against the 4.1 in the OECD. Spain is a unique country which has achieved a greater reduction in traffic mortality (75%) due to road safety policies. The smoking rate has been reduced by 25 percent in the last decade.

In relation to health expenditure per capita, one of every three OECD countries has been dropping its spending in health between 2009 and 2011. Spain stays in the middle with 9.3% of GDP devoted to health care.

Health indications in Spain

The hospitalization rate among adults per 100,000 for asthma is 40, less than the average 50. For diabetes, the rate is lower than 100, against 150 average at developed countries.

The immunized children rate at the 1 year age against hepatitis B is 96%, above the average. The decrease in the fertility rate of women, coupled with life expectancy will do that in the year 2050, 35% of the population will be older than 65 and 15% will have more than 80 years.

The half of Spanish doctors are women, surpassing 7 points to the rest. 23% physicians has more than 55 years, compared with 32% of the average of developed countries.  14% of those older than 50 years provided informal care to a dependent family member, case 65% are women and do it daily in 85% of cases.