Naděje dožití bez bolesti ve věku 25, 50 a 65 let v Evropě

Markéta Míšková – Michala Lustigová
Demografie, 67(4): 230–247
https://doi.org/10.54694/dem.0369

Abstract
With increasing life expectancy and population ageing across Europe, attention is shifting from how long people live to how many of those years are spent in good health. Life without pain has become an important indicator of quality of life and functional health. The aim of this study is to compare pain-free life expectancy at ages 25, 50, and 65 across 23 European countries and to analyse the differences between men and women. Data were obtained from the European Health Interview Survey (2019) and the Human Mortality Database. Pain-free life expectancy was calculated using the Sullivan method, which combines life table data with the age-specific prevalence of pain. The results reveal significant differences between countries and sexes. The prevalence of pain in Europe reaches 22% among men and 31% among women. Women live longer but spend a larger proportion of their lives with pain. Among men aged 65, the proportion of life spent with pain ranges from 16% to 44% of total life expectancy, while among women the figure is 24% to 58%. Western European populations show higher pain-free life expectancy than those in Eastern Europe, particularly among men. These findings highlight persistent regional and gender disparities in health across Europe and provide valuable insights for developing targeted public health policies aimed at reducing the burden of pain throughout the life course.

Keywords
life expectancy, pain, health inequalities, Europe

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