Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

Doctors and researchers say it’s never too late to try to add more years to your life

Jessica Migala, AARP

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En español

Published July 17, 2024

a woman pictured in color standing on a ledge over a man pictured in black and white

Photo Collage: AARP (Source: Getty Images(2))

If you’re a man and you’re reading this, you’re expected to die several years earlier than a woman.

That may not come as a big shock. After all, women have historically lived longer than men, something that’s true in nearly every place in the world. But in recent years, the longevity gap between the sexes has only grown.

Data published in 2023 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that in 2021, women were expected to live nearly six years longer than men in the U.S. — the largest gap in life expectancy between the sexes in nearly three decades. In 2022, the difference narrowed some. Still, the life expectancy for a woman in the U.S. was 80.2 years; for men, it was 74.8, the latest federal data shows.

What gives? Doctors and researchers point to several reasons women usually outlive men.

5 reasons women tend to live longer

1. COVID-19

The coronavirus is partly to blame for the recent growth in the gap, says Brandon Yan, M.D., a physician at the University of California, San Francisco, and lead researcher on the JAMA paper. Men are more likely to have chronic diseases, such as diabetes or COPD, which increases the odds of severe infection. They also face social norms for masculinity that may have contributed to masking and vaccine hesitancy during the height of the pandemic, Yan adds, “and more risky behaviors in general.”

Yan remains “cautiously optimistic” that the gap will start to shrink now that we’re in a better place with COVID-19. The virus is still circulating, but most people have some sort of immunity through vaccines and prior infections, and treatments can curb serious complications if you do catch it. Still, COVID’s taper doesn’t mean a man’s vulnerabilities will go away completely.

2. Biological differences

Estrogen, the levels of which plummet at menopause, is a hormone that’s health-protective, says Dawn Carr, director of the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University and a faculty affiliate with the Institute for Successful Longevity.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, estrogen can help protect the heart and the brain, and it can lower inflammation and improve muscle mass and bone density. In fact, estrogen is believed to be the reason women develop heart disease — the leading killer in the U.S. — a decade later than men.

3. Stress management

There’s a big difference between men and women in terms of how they process stress, Carr says: “Men tend to engage in behaviors when stressed that are more consequential to their health than women. They might drink alcohol and smoke. And they often don’t have the same social networks that are protective to talk about their feelings and manage their emotions.”

Women, on the other hand, might be more likely to reach out to a friend or family member to talk about what they’re going through, a habit that’s no doubt healthier and greatly reduces stress.

4. Medical care

From young adulthood to midlife, women tend to see a doctor more often than men, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By the time they hit 65, though, more than 9 out of 10 men and women are seeing a medical professional.

“Women tend to be a bit more proactive with regard to their health,” says Douglas E. Vaughan, M.D., director of the Potocsnak Longevity Institute at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We see it in everyday life and in our practices here. So many of the preventive steps people can do involve screening for cervical cancer or getting a mammogram, which are built into the culture where women do these things. Men may be more reluctant to take advantage of the screening opportunities out there.”

5. College education

There’s also a gap in college education, with women outpacing men. That can leave men in more physically demanding or riskier jobs, Carr says. Education level can also influence a person’s access to quality health care throughout their career. In 2021, 46 percent of women ages 25 to 34 had a bachelor’s degree, compared to 36 percent of men in that age range, a report from the Pew Research Center shows.

5 Tips to Help You Live Longer

If any of these reasons resonate with you, you can take steps as a man to improve your odds of living longer — and that starts with taking charge of your health.

“We’re starting to think about what we can do to slow down our biological age. Women have the advantage in that space, but it doesn’t mean interventions or lifestyle changes won’t be effective for all people,” Vaughan says. “People should know that even if they start late — at 60, 70, even 80 years old — that ship hasn’t necessarily sailed.”

Here’s where to start:

1. Get screened

Ask your doctor what health screenings you’re due for. “Take advantage of the screenings that can be done to preserve your health and potentially extend your lifespan,” Vaughan says. Right now, recommendations for cancer screenings for men ages 50-plus include colorectal cancer screening, lung cancer screening (for current or former smokers), and potentially a prostate cancer screening, according to the American Cancer Society. When and how often you need these depend on your age and health, and the best person to ask is your provider.

2. Know where your metabolic health stands

“Diabetes can be a pretty silent disorder for a long period of time. It can be missed, which can have devastating effects on the cardiovascular system,” Vaughan says. In fact, a higher percentage of men (41 percent) than women (32 percent) had prediabetes, but more women were aware of their prediabetes compared to men, according to the CDC.

Getting blood tests to measure your HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar) and cholesterol levels, as well as a blood pressure reading, can tell you if you need to make lifestyle adjustments or consider medication to get those numbers in check.

3. Take stock of your mental health

It’s common for mood disorders like depression to be underdiagnosed in men. And depression is a risk factor for the aptly called deaths of despair due to suicide, alcohol use disorder and drug overdose. (The JAMA study also found that these were contributors to the male-female life expectancy gap.)

“Mental health is often overlooked in many circumstances,” Vaughan says. It can be really tough to broach the subject, but your primary care physician can be the first stop in starting the conversation — and can tell you where to go for more targeted help.

4. Maintain your relationships

Social connectedness is an important way to buffer your stress and promote emotional well-being, Carr says. Earlier research has even concluded that social ties are as important as quitting smoking or moderating your alcohol intake when it comes to lengthening your life. “Maintaining meaningful relationships with friends and family is critical and protective,” she says. Ask yourself: Have I talked to a friend today?

5. Clean up your habits

The stuff you hear all the time — what you eat, how you move, your sleeping habits — may not be surprising, but they remain consequential for your health span, or the years you live without developing an aging-related illness, Vaughan says. This is when you can do the activities you want to do without disease or functional limitations getting in the way. “Diet and exercise are the best things you can do to slow your biological age,” he says.

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