Spain leads the European Union in life expectancy, reaching an overall average of 84.0 years, closely followed by Italy and Sweden (84.1 years), and exceeding the EU average of 81.7 years.
Comparison Across Europe
- European leaders: Spain stands alongside Italy and Sweden at the top of the continent’s longevity rankings.
- European Union average: The overall average across EU countries is 81.7 years, three years lower than the Spanish figure.
- Countries with the lowest average: The lowest figures in Europe are found in eastern countries such as Bulgaria (75.9 years) and Romania (76.6 years).
Differences Between Men and Women in Spain
- Women: They have an average life expectancy of 86.7 years, placing them among the highest in the world.
- Men: They have an average life expectancy of 81.3 years.
Spain’s high life expectancy is not due to a single reason, but rather to a combination of sociocultural, healthcare and environmental factors. The consensus among experts and medical institutions points to the following fundamental pillars:
1. Universal and Preventive Healthcare System
- Free access: The public healthcare model guarantees medical care for the entire population, regardless of their financial circumstances.
- Focus on prevention: The primary healthcare network provides continuous monitoring, helping serious illnesses to be detected at an early stage.
- Low avoidable mortality: Spain records very low death rates from cardiovascular diseases or treatable infections compared with the European average.
2. Food and the Mediterranean Diet
- High-quality nutrients: Regular consumption of olive oil, fresh fish, pulses and vegetables provides healthy fats and antioxidants.
- Food culture: Fresh produce is prioritised over ultra-processed foods.
- Social pace: The habit of sitting down to eat and sharing meals significantly reduces everyday stress levels.
3. Social Cohesion and Family Support
- Less insulation: Older people in Spain tend to maintain an active social life within their communities.
- Family Safety Net: Only 23% of people over the age of 65 live alone, compared with an average of 32% across the rest of Europe. This reduces loneliness and ensures direct care and support.
4. Urban Environment and Climate
- Walkable cities: The design of Spanish towns and cities encourages people to travel on foot and take moderate daily exercise.
- Outdoor Living: The hours of sunshine and predominantly mild climate encourage socialising in public spaces and the absorption of vitamin D.
The influence of the residential environment on physical and mental health is widely supported by medical science, epidemiology and urban planning through the scientific concept of the urban exposome. Numerous large-scale international studies show that a person’s postcode has a greater influence on their health and life expectancy than their genetic code.
1. The Impact of Green Spaces: The 3-30-300 Rule
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has led extensive research involving more than 1,000 European cities. Its findings conclude that a lack of green spaces causes up to 43,000 premature deaths every year in Europe.
To combat this, the scientific community supports the 3-30-300 rule:
- 3 trees: Being able to see at least three trees from the windows of your home dramatically reduces the use of antidepressants.
- 30% tree canopy coverage: Living in a neighbourhood with this level of vegetation reduces the risk of obesity and heart disease, and delays physical decline.
- 300 meters: Living no more than this distance from a park reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and improves cognitive development.
2. Walkable Cities Against Chronic Diseases
The extensive Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), shows that more than 57% of the years lived in poor health are caused by preventable chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal pain, diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Environments that encourage walkability, as found in the Spanish urban model, directly counteract these factors. Requiring the body to undertake moderate daily physical activity simply to go shopping, study or work dramatically reduces Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood glucose levels.
3. The Urban Heat Island Effect and Housing
The quality of the urban environment also determines climate resilience. Research published in prestigious journals such as The Lancet indicates that street design directly affects mortality rates during the summer.
Excessive asphalt and a lack of vegetation cause the urban heat island effect, which is responsible for almost 5% of premature summer deaths and has a direct impact on the cardiovascular health of the older population.
4. Noise Pollution and Sleep Quality
Studies carried out as part of the European EXPANSE project analyse the impact of living with constant exposure to road traffic noise. Residential noise pollution chronically disrupts sleep cycles, leading to persistently high blood pressure and increasing the medium-term risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Alicante Has Been Chosen as One of the Best Cities in Which to Live
Alicante has secured one of the top positions worldwide in InterNations’ prestigious international Expat City Ranking, thanks to its excellent balance of affordable housing, ease of integration and an environment that promotes optimal physical and mental health.
The key factors behind its selection are directly aligned with scientific studies regarding the impact of the environment on quality of life.
1. Climate and Hours of Natural Light
- Sun exposure: Alicante enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunshine and 320 clear days each year, making it one of the Spanish cities with the longest period of natural daylight.
- Biological impact: This mild climate, with an annual average temperature of 20°C, encourages vitamin D production, regulates the circadian rhythm and reduces seasonal affective disorders associated with cold weather.
2. Walkable Urban Design and Integrated Beaches
- Incidental exercise: As a medium-sized city, it is possible to cross many of its districts on foot or by using sustainable transport.
- Accessible natural environments: It has integrated urban beaches, such as San Juan Beach and Postiguet Beach, as well as seafront promenades that dramatically reduce chronic cortisol levels.
3. Ease of Feeling at Home
- A leader in welcoming residents: The InterNations report ranks Alicante first in the world for culture and friendliness.
- Community and integration: 84% of new residents say that they feel integrated from their very first day, reducing conditions associated with social isolation.
4. High Quality Healthcare and Clean Air
- Strong infrastructure: Alicante has an extensive network of health centres, leading public hospitals and private clinics that are highly rated by 80% of its foreign residents. [1, 2]
- Low pollution: Its open coastal location allows air masses to be constantly renewed, keeping atmospheric pollution to a minimum. [1, 2]
5. Competitive Cost of Living and Housing
- Balanced finances: Although prices have risen globally, Alicante stands out in international rankings for offering housing and living costs that are considerably more affordable than those found in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or the capitals of northern Europe.
The Mediterranean diet and 320 days of sunshine are reasons for greater longevity.
The combination of a healthy diet and the synthesis of vitamin D through sunlight acts as a biological shield that slows cellular ageing and helps prevent the world’s leading causes of death.
Medical science shows that these two factors do not simply add years to life, but also ensure that those years are lived with greater functional ability.
1. Sunlight and Vitamin D: The Longevity “Switch”
Vitamin D is not simply a vitamin, but a neurohormone that regulates more than 1,000 different genes in our bodies. Its impact on longevity is based on three critical mechanisms:
- Telomere maintenance: Various genetic studies associate optimal vitamin D levels with longer telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that indicate cellular biological age. Preserved telomeres slow down the ageing of the body.
- Reduction in all-cause mortality: Meta-analyses published in prestigious medical journals confirm that people with a chronic vitamin D deficiency have a significantly higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and certain types of cancer, such as colon and breast cancer.
- Prevention of bone fragility: By enabling calcium absorption, vitamin D helps prevent osteoporosis and hip fractures in old age, a clinical event that often marks the beginning of severe physical decline in older people.
2. Anti-Ageing Nutrition: Fighting Inflammation
As we grow older, the body enters a state known within the scientific community as inflammaging, a chronic, low-grade inflammation associated with age. A diet based on the Mediterranean Diet, enjoyed in cities such as Alicante, directly combats this process:
- Protection of the endothelium (arteries): The consumption of healthy fats, such as oleic acid from extra virgin olive oil and Omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish, keeps the arteries flexible and clear, preventing atherosclerosis.
- Antioxidant power: Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seasonal fruit provide polyphenols. These compounds neutralise free radicals, preventing the oxidative stress that damages the body’s tissues.
- Healthy gut microbiota: Fibre from pulses and wholegrain cereals feeds beneficial intestinal bacteria. Healthy gut microbiota strengthens the immune system and improves brain health through the gut-brain axis.
The key to longevity in sunny places with excellent cuisine lies in the fact that both factors reinforce one another. For example, for the body to properly absorb and synthesise the vitamin D produced by the skin through sunlight, healthy fats are required in the diet, as vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning that it dissolves in fat.
The Mediterranean Diet is considered by the international scientific community to be one of the most important pillars of longevity and Spain’s high life expectancy.
Numerous internationally recognised medical studies show that this eating pattern directly prevents the diseases that most commonly shorten people’s lives.
The Scientific Evidence Supporting It:
The Mediterranean Diet is not a theory; it is supported by some of the largest nutritional studies ever carried out:
- The PREDIMED Study (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet): Led in Spain, it demonstrated that following this diet reduces the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, or dying from cardiovascular causes, by 30% compared with a low-fat diet.
- The Blue Zones Study: Research by National Geographic identified the regions of the world where people regularly live beyond the age of 100, such as Sardinia in Italy and Ikaria in Greece. They all share the same Mediterranean dietary principles: plant-based foods, healthy fats and no ultra-processed products.
Why does it extend life? Its Key Components:
The secret of its success lies in the way its ingredients protect our bodies at a cellular level:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): Considered “liquid gold”, it contains polyphenols and oleic acid. It reduces LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol, increases HDL, or “good”, cholesterol, and prevents the arteries from becoming blocked by atherosclerosis.
- Plant-based foods and fiber: The daily consumption of pulses, vegetables, fruit and nuts keeps the gut microbiota healthy. Balanced gut microbiota strengthens the immune system and slows down the chronic inflammation associated with ageing.
- Fish Rather Than Red Meat: The diet prioritises oily fish, such as sardines, anchovies and tuna, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids protect the heart, reduce blood pressure and act as powerful natural anti-inflammatory agents.
- Water and wine in moderation: Water is the main source of hydration, replacing sugary soft drinks that contribute to diabetes and obesity.
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