OECD: Italians live longer in Europe with 84.1 years, but young people are lazy and overweight

Life expectancy at birth in Italy has reached 84.1 years in 2024, the highest value in the European Union, together with that of Sweden, surpassing 2019 levels and recovering the decline linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. The good news comes from the Country Health Profile 2025 published by the OECD, which also highlights the stress of Italy's public system, which faces growing pressures from an ageing population, imbalances in the workforce and persistent regional disparities.

Thus, although Italians live longer than other European citizens, avoidable deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer remain high due to increasing risk factors. According to the OECD, behavioural risks are a growing source of concern: 27% of 15-year-olds said they had smoked in the last month (the third highest rate in the EU), while Italian adolescents are the laziest, registering the lowest level of physical activity in the EU. Another risk factor is obesity, which remains low in adults but with significant rates of childhood overweight, a harbinger of future and further health burdens.

The report also points out that per capita healthcare expenditure in Italy is 19 % below the EU average. While hospital care meets demand, public coverage for outpatient and dental care remains low. As a result, out-of-pocket expenditure accounts for almost 24 % of healthcare expenditure (compared to the EU average of 15.5 %). This creates inequalities: adults at risk of poverty are 2.5 times more likely to report unmet medical needs than the general population. And again. Long waiting lists remain the most cited obstacle to accessing care, which is why - the OECD recalls - a new national plan for waiting list management has been drawn up (2025-2027).

Another critical issue, human resources. "The system suffers from a serious imbalance in the composition of skills," warns the organisation. Although Italy has a high density of doctors (5.4 per 1,000 inhabitants), there is a shortage of nurses: 6.9 per 1,000 inhabitants, more than 20% below the EU average. Furthermore, the number of nursing graduates has halved compared to the EU average since 2020. At the same time, more than half of all general practitioners exceed the maximum number of patients, especially in the North.

Italy, despite having the oldest demographic profile in the EU, spends only 10 per cent of its healthcare expenditure on long-term care compared to the EU average of 18 per cent. 'The system relies heavily on family assistance and cash benefits rather than structured services,' the report stresses, 'leaving many families with unmet support needs.