This key indicator measures the quality of aging. Women are more often affected by chronic diseases that are disabling but not fatal, while men develop more serious pathologies, which they survive less long.
Life expectancy continues to increase in France. According to the latest figures, it is 85 years for women and 79 for men. But this is life expectancy at birth. This figure should be distinguished from healthy life expectancy. Each year, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) publishes this key indicator to measure the quality of aging. This figure reflects disability-free life expectancy; it corresponds to the number of years that a person can hope to live without being limited by a health problem in the activities of their daily life, for at least six months.
Real progress, but slowing
In the long term, the trend is positive. Since 2008, disability-free life expectancy at age 65 has increased by 1 year and 9 months, for both women and men. This development is explained in particular by better management of chronic diseases, earlier detection and a gradual adaptation of the environment to the needs of older people.
But this dynamic has stalled in recent years. Since 2019, the gains have become very modest: four additional months for women and only one month for men. A slowdown which takes place in a context of an aging population and an increase in age-related chronic pathologies.
Thus, according to figures published by Drees on January 22, 2026, a 65-year-old woman can today hope to live another 11.8 years without disability, compared to 10.5 years for a man. In other words, more than ten years, on average, during which it is possible to remain independent in everyday activities. Women can thus hope to reach the age of 76 or even 77 in good health, compared to 75 for men. The gap is ultimately very small. At age 65, the difference is only 5 months between men and women. Women are more often affected by chronic diseases that are disabling but not fatal, while men develop more serious pathologies, which they survive less long.
France is doing well in Europe
Another positive lesson: France is above the European average in terms of disability-free life expectancy at age 65, for both women and men. In 2023, it was among the best ranked countries in the European Union on this indicator, even if the results are more contrasted when we look at life expectancy without disability from birth.
Above all, these figures remind us of a central reality: living longer does not necessarily mean living longer in good health. The challenge is therefore no longer just to add years to life, but to enable as many people as possible to live them as long as possible in good health.
