New research comparing 204 countries points to Singapore as the country with the longest lifespan. But the headline result comes with an important warning: living longer does not automatically mean living better in old age.
According to the findings, Singapore leads the world in life expectancy, yet many people there spend a notable part of their later years in poor health. That makes the study less about a simple longevity ranking and more about the gap between total years lived and healthy years lived.
Scientists said the broad pattern was surprisingly consistent across countries. The results suggest that gains in life expectancy can outpace gains in health, meaning medical progress and social development may help people survive longer without fully preventing long-term illness or disability in older age.
The study highlights a growing public health challenge for ageing societies. As countries push for longer lives, the bigger question may be how to extend healthy life expectancy as well, so extra years are not overshadowed by declining health.
