Have the Corsicans found the elixir of youth? According to a study carried out in 2022 by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, the inhabitants of the Island of Beauty enjoy the highest life expectancy at birth in Europe, estimated at 84 years.
“Sun” and “eat well”
With 17°C, the air is mild on this January morning on a beach in Ajaccio, in Corse-du-Sud, and a group of retirees take advantage, like every day, to sunbathe and do some fathoms.
“I even forgot that I had worked!” Pierre launches into the BFMTV microphone.
The 76-year-old Corsican retiree says he feels in good shape. For him, the secret to his longevity is simple: “sun, eat well,” he summarizes.
With 84 years of life expectancy, the Corsicans are in the lead in the European Union, where the average is 80.4 years. Among Corsican women, the figure rises to 87 years.
After Corsica, other islanders occupy second place in the European ranking: they are from the Balearic Islands, in Spain (83.9 years). Residents of the Epirus region in western Greece complete the podium (83.8 years).
In general, the Mediterranean countries, from France to Spain, passing through Italy and Greece, stand out in this study. By contrast, the worst-off are in North-East Europe, especially Bulgaria, which ranks particularly poorly, with only 72.1 years of life expectancy in the North-West and 72.8 years in the North-Central.
However, the figure is lower than the data collected in 2019 (-0.9 years). “This drop in life expectancy is linked to the sudden increase in mortality in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” notes Eurostat.
A particular “quality of life”?
“On the mainland, they can’t live to old age, it’s not possible, they have too much stress,” said Mattea, a Corsican resident.
“The quality of life in Corsica, we cannot give it elsewhere, it is not possible”, estimates Marie-Noël for her part.
The assets of the Island of Beauty? The sea and the mountains, according to some locals. Something to keep fit in an exceptional environment. “When you’re athletic, you resist all these (age-related) pains,” explains Chantal, who indulges in yoga on the fine sand.
“I may not be a hundred years old, but I’ll try to go as far as possible,” he says mischievously.
Source: BFM TV
