Life expectancy in the European Union has increased, driving greater demand for care, assistance and healthcare staff, especially in the fragile phase of life.

Omissions

• The increase is not monotonic: EU life expectancy at birth dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic (roughly 80.4 years in 2020 and 80.1 years in 2021), so part of the recent rise is a recovery rather than a new structural gain.
• The most recent year-on-year gain is modest: about +0.1 to +0.3 years between 2023 and 2024, depending on the Eurostat dataset used (81.4 -> 81.5 in Statistics Explained; preliminary 81.7 in the Eurostat news release).
• Healthy life years (years lived in good health) have not risen in parallel with total life expectancy, meaning part of the additional years are lived in poorer health — which does support the speaker's point about demand for care 'in the fragile phase of life'.
• The claim is a qualitative trend statement; it does not cite a specific figure or reference period, so it cannot be pinned to a single exact value.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — EU life expectancy estimated at 81.7 years in 2024According to preliminary 2024 data, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.7 years, up 0.3 years compared with 2023.
• PrimaryEurostat Statistics Explained — Mortality and life expectancy statisticsIn 2024, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.5 years, up from 81.4 in 2023. For women, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 84.1 years in 2024 ... 78.9 years for men.
• PrimaryEurostat — EU life expectancy estimated at 81.5 years in 2023According to preliminary 2023 data, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.5 years, up by 0.9 years from 2022, and 0.2 years compared ...
• PrimaryOECD — Health at a Glance: Europe 2024, Trends in life expectancyLife expectancy at birth in the EU reached 81.5 years in 2023 based on preliminary data from Eurostat, up by nearly a year from 2022.