The population of the center of the country (Tirana-Elbasan) reached the European average for life expectancy in 2019. 

According to comparable Eurostat data for the regions of Europe, the population of the Center Region of the country lived in 2019 on average 81-82 years. This life expectancy is comparable to most EU regions. Also, the population of the Central Region of Albania was ranked as the longest in the countries of the Western Balkans.

According to internal data from INSTAT, life expectancy in Albania was 75.5 years for men and 79.6 years for women, marking a decrease in 2020, influenced by the increase in the number of deaths from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Albanian women born in 2020 are expected to live 4.4 years longer than Albanian men born in the same year. 

Although there is no opportunity to have a healthy life as in the 1960s, where pollution and lack of food security have not been to this extent than today, Albanians have become longer living at least over 16 years until 2019. 

Although some diseases of a carcinogenic nature have been added, for some others it seems that, medicine has advanced by increasing the life expectancy in the country to half a century by 16 years. 

According to Eurostat, life expectancy in the EU reached 81.1 years in 2019, but in 93 regions life expectancy was below 81.1 years, while 147 regions had a life expectancy of 81.1 years or more. 

Over the last two centuries, life expectancy in the EU has grown relatively steadily (with some extraordinary periods, such as in times of war). According to Eurostat, the increase in life expectancy is mainly attributed to advances in medical care, changes in living conditions, working conditions / occupations, and changes in lifestyle. 

In general, the population living longer in Europe is concentrated in the Mediterranean region. Spain, Italy, and Greece have most of the regions where the population lives more than, 83.5 years. 

In the EU, Bulgaria recorded the lowest life expectancy, at 73.6 years. During the period 2017-2019, life expectancy in the EU at birth was 83.8 years for women and 78.3 years for men. 

During this period, the "Comunidad" region in the Spanish capital Madrid had the highest life expectancy at birth for both women (average 87.9 years) and men (82.6 years). The highest life expectancy for women is in Spain, while the highest life expectancy for men was mainly recorded in central and northern Italy. The EU gender gap for life expectancy at birth was 5.5 years in favor of women during 2017-2019. In Albania this difference was about 4 years.

(Source: Monitor)