In 2020, women in the EU lived on average to 83, while men reached 77. However, men and women had almost the same number of healthy years—62 for men and 63 for women. This means women live longer, but many of those extra years come with health problems and a lower quality of life.

 

I used a petal-shaped chart to show life expectancy and years spent in poor health for men and women. I often use petal designs for topics about women, not to suggest weakness, but to show harmony and complexity. This design makes it easy to see the difference between total lifespan and healthy years, highlighting the paradox right away.

 

The chart shows how gaps in preventive care add to this difference. Women often face health risks that could be prevented, but healthcare systems usually focus on treatment instead of prevention. This can lead to late diagnoses and lower chances of full recovery.