More than half of men do not survive to retire. The report reveals the scale of the problem

According to data from the Central Statistical Office, in 2025 the average life expectancy for men was 75.37 years, while women could count on 82.48 years. The latest analyzes indicate that more than half of this difference is the result of premature deaths among men.

Men's shorter lives cannot be something we are used to. In the 2023 analysis, more than half of the difference in life expectancy between men and women was associated with higher mortality among men before the age of 65. This is a problem that affects people during their professional, family and social activities. Premature death takes away the years spent together by entire families - emphasized Prof. Piotr Radziszewski during a meeting at the headquarters of the Patient Ombudsman.

Social and educational inequalities

The report also reveals serious social inequalities. In the years 2020-2022, the difference in the life expectancy of 30-year-old men between groups with lower and higher education reached up to 13 years. This shows how much social and educational factors have an impact on life expectancy.

Experts point out that there are serious gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting men. Patient Ombudsman Bartłomiej Chmielowiec notes that many men, despite reporting for initial tests, "get lost" in the system and do not benefit from further care. Only 37.45 percent participants of the "Moje Zdrowie" program are men.

The report reads: "Poland has a problem of high and possible to reduce premature male mortality, concentrated before the age of 65 and in groups with lower social status. The system counts contacts and services. It does not count how many men went all the way from the symptom to effectively controlled treatment."

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