60, 63, 71, 75. What do all these numbers have in common? They are the average healthy life expectancy for different countries around the world. The US ranks pretty low despite the fact that we spend more money on health, 16.9% of our GDP, higher than any other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country. The US is projected to drop from 80th to 108th by 2050. The United States has a lower healthy life expectancy than Canada, Japan, and most Western European countries.
Healthy life expectancy is more than just the projection of how long the average person will live. It accounts for both the quantity and quality of life, estimating how many of your years will be free of chronic diseases, physical impairments or limitations, and mental health issues.
Recent studies have shown that 80% of your health depends on your lifestyle and habits, like how active you are, your diet, and the environment you live in; unfortunately, the US has been falling behind in all those areas for the last few decades.
Modern medicine has increased life expectancy, but this has not brought with it an equivalent healthy life expectancy. Many people are living longer, but many of those additional years are lived with chronic diseases like hearth disease, diabetes, and cancer. The healthy life expectancy in 2024 was 63.9 years, a decline of 1.4 years from 2000.
What does this mean for your retirement? Many people plan for retirement based on how they live at the current time. However, once you reach a certain age, past the “healthy life expectancy,” your cost of living will increase based on your health needs. (This is why it is incredibly important to make sure you have signed up for Medicare and put into place all your supplement plans.) Healthy life expectancy has become a crucial indicator for retirement quality.
Looking at the data can cast a shadow on the golden years following your career, making them seem like they won’t be as enjoyable as you had hoped. Luckily you can make changes that can dramatically improve your health over time. Make simple choices that will improve your health in the long run. You can make small changes such as getting up and taking a walk after sitting for a long period of time, saying no to sweets at least once a day, going to bed earlier, add in more vegetables to your diet, drinking more water, or exercising at least ten minutes each day. As you successfully incorporate one healthy habit, add in another.
It is so important to prioritize your health NOW. Don’t wait until you retire, don’t risk losing your healthy years. The best investment you can make is in your own health.