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Why do Italians live so long?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 21, 2026

Eating plenty of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and cooking with olive oil could explain the high life expectancy rate in Italy. The number of centenarians, or people that are over the age of 100, has tripled in Italy over the last 15 years. Out of the total number of centenarians, 83 percent are women.

Do Italians have longer life expectancy?

In a report released in September 2016 by Eurostat that compared ages of residents across Europe, Italy was declared as having the highest share of people over 80 years old at 6.5%, with Greece close behind with 6.3%.

How long does the average Italian live?

Italy: Life Expectancy

According to the latest WHO data published in 2018 life expectancy in Italy is: Male 80.5, female 84.9 and total life expectancy is 82.8 which gives Italy a World Life Expectancy ranking of 8.

Why is Italy so healthy?

So, what makes Italians so healthy? Despite an abundance of pasta and pizza, the Italian diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, lean meat, legumes, fresh fish, and olive oil. These foods are a big part of the Mediterranean diet, considered to be one of the best for good cardiovascular and brain health.

Is Italy healthier than us?

But here's the rub: Italians are much healthier than Americans in terms of everything from overall health longevity, infant mortality, obesity, cancer, diabetes, suicide, drug overdoses, homicides, and disability rates. On many of those measures, they beat out the UK as well.

15 related questions found

What country citizens live the longest?

Below are five countries where people people tend to live longer.

  1. Monaco. As the second-smallest country in the world, Monaco has the longest life expectancy on Earth at 89.4 years, according to the World Factbook. ...
  2. Japan. ...
  3. Singapore. ...
  4. San Marino. ...
  5. Iceland.

Why do Italians talk with their hands?

The habit of talking with one's hands in Italy has been reported to address and reinforce the meaning of expressions. An iconic symbol of Italian gesture is the movement of the hand with an up-down activity. Under normal conversation, gesturing helps in delivering the meaning and receiving information.

Why do Japanese people live longer?

Japanese life expectancy

This low mortality is mainly attributable to a low rate of obesity, low consumption of red meat, and high consumption of fish and plant foods such as soybeans and tea. In Japan, the obesity rate is low (4.8% for men and 3.7% for women).

Which European country has the highest life expectancy?

Spain and Italy had the highest life expectancy among EU countries, with life expectancy reaching over 83 years in 2018. Life expectancy at birth exceeds 80 years in almost two-thirds of EU countries, but still remains at only around 75 years in Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania (Figure 3.1).

What does ? mean in Italy?

Che vuoi? (Italian pronunciation: [ke vˈvwɔi]; transl. "what do you want?"), alternatively described as ma che vuoi?, ma che dici?/ma che stai dicendo? ("what are you talking about?"), or simply che? ("what?"), is one of the best known hand gestures of Italy.

What does it mean when an Italian flicks his chin?

In Northern Italy, France, Belgium and Tunisia, the chin flick can be used to tell someone to get lost (in a little bit more aggressive language than this) [source: Heddleston]. And speaking of aggressive, if someone wants to be quite emphatic about their intended message, they will make the gesture quite forcefully.

Why do Italians call sauce gravy?

Historians speculate that families who immigrated earlier used “gravy” to reflect the names of dishes they saw in America in order to better assimilate. Assimilation meant changing their language and/or approach to food. So, when they made a thick sauce that they poured over a meal, they called it gravy.

What country lives the shortest?

Countries with the lowest life expectancy 2019

The countries with the lowest life expectancy worldwide include the Central African Republic, Chad, and Lesotho. As of 2019, people born in the Central African Republic could be expected to live only up to 53 years. This is 20 years shorter than the global life expectancy.

Do vegetarians live longer?

A team of researchers at Loma Linda University in the United States has shown vegetarian men live for an average of 10 years longer than non-vegetarian men — 83 years compared to 73 years. For women, being vegetarian added an extra 6 years to their lives, helping them reach 85 years on average.

What race has the shortest lifespan?

Of the four race-sex groups considered, black males have the shortest average longevity—69.0 years. Within-sex groupings, whites have the advantage for both females and males.

Which race has longest life expectancy?

Asian-Americans top the list at 86.5 years, with Latinos following closely behind at 82.8 years. Third of the five groups are Caucasians, with an average life expectancy of about 78.9 years, followed by Native Americans at 76.9 years. The final group, African Americans, has a life expectancy of 74.6 years.

Why is Israel life expectancy so high?

1. Israel's life expectancy is very high by international standards, especially for men. 2. Israel's life expectancy is higher than we should expect, given its levels of wealth, education, health system characteristics, and general demographic profile.

Is Italian food unhealthy?

Italian food uses fresh, natural ingredients and the healthiest of fats, both of which have been found to be associated with lower levels of cancer, heart disease, inflammatory disease, and more. Improving longevity of life might be a natural benefit of enjoying an Italian meal!

What is the sickest country in the world?

Most Unhealthiest Countries In the World

  • The Czech Republic. ...
  • Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ...
  • Bangladesh. ...
  • Republic of Nauru. ...
  • The Russian Federation. ...
  • Lithuania. ...
  • Samoa. ...
  • Somalia.

Which country has the unhealthiest food?

When it comes to unhealthy eating, Saudi Arabia was the WORST COUNTRY in the index. It ranked the worst for diabetes, with 18% of the population being diabetic. A third of Saudis are obese.

What does the Italian emoji mean?

An emoji showing the fingers held together in a vertical orientation, often referred to as the Italian hand gesture ma che vuoi, sometimes called the "finger purse." In Italy this gesture tends to be used in disagreement, frustration, or disbelief and can mean “What do you want?” or “What are you saying?” Outside Italy ...

What does the FIG hand gesture mean?

The gesture uses a thumb wedged in between two fingers. This gesture is most commonly used to ward off the evil eye, insult someone, or deny a request.