France 2004: Life expectancy tops 80 years

Abstract

Length of life is continuing to increase in France. It made a leap forward in 2004 compared with 2003, the year of the heatwave, but also compared with 2002, a normal year. By setting the advances of the past few years against a long-term trend starting in the mid-eighteenth century, Gilles Pison explains the reasons for the impressive extension of life expectancy in two centuries and the specific increase in 2004.