• New research finds that Japan would win an Olympics for “healthy ageing”, with two medals and four top 10 finishes across eight events
• South Korea and the small island nation of Niue also win two medals, while Monaco wins gold despite its micronation status
• Africa is the best-performing continent, with ten African countries winning four gold medals, four silvers and two bronzes

The International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) – the UK’s leading authority on the impact of longevity on society – will be in Paris today awarding medals to the 24 countries and territories that perform the best on healthy ageing.

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, ILC has been looking at who would win if there was an “Olympics for healthy ageing”. Findings from the Going for gold project – produced in collaboration with ILC-France and the ILC Europe Network and supported by Sanofi – suggests that across eight healthy ageing “sporting” events, the best-performing countries on the “Healthy Ageing Medal Table” are:

*The Prevention Triathlon figure is a cumulative score of three percentage figures. The lower the score, the better, indicating a lower prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle choices. The winners compare, for example, with the UK’s score of 52.3, 79.4 for the USA and 97.8 for Egypt.

The final report also published today finds that:

• Africa is the best-performing continent with 10 medals and 12 top 10 finishes (excluding medals), in part due to improvements made by African countries on the ILC’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index – Botswana wins gold for climbing the highest number of places (24).
• This is followed by Europe with 5 medals and 16 top 10 finishes, with nations such as Denmark, Latvia and the United Kingdom taking to the podium.
• The “Relay race” – which compares how well country blocs perform on healthy ageing – identifies the Nordic Council as the best-performing political bloc, followed by the G7 and the EU.

These findings suggest that countries and territories across each of the five Olympic continents perform differently on a range of healthy ageing metrics. For example, European nations are more likely to win medals for immunisation, while African countries perform better on physical activity and lower non-communicable disease prevalence. East Asian countries – namely Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – win medals for living the longest and healthiest lives.

Patrick Swain, Research and Development Manager at ILC and Coordinator of the ILC Europe Network, says:

“As I’m sure we’ll see at this year’s Olympics in Paris, certain countries will perform better than others at specific sporting disciplines. And the same can be said for healthy ageing – no single country or territory dominates this space, but each nation has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to achieving longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

“Our Healthy Ageing Medal Table shows that living healthier for longer is a broad-ranging topic with many different components. While some nations do well on immunisation, others are more physically active. This goes to show that policymakers and health stakeholders around the globe must take a holistic approach to healthy ageing and prevention if they are to improve their country’s longevity.

“While no one is expected to diet or train like an Olympian, eating well, doing regular exercise and taking up routine immunisations are all vital to help people live for longer.”

Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography: Healthy ageing and longevity in Europe says:

“In an ageing world, remaining healthier for longer is crucial. It is essential to ensure that these longer lives are also healthier, so that we can enjoy the benefits of the additional years being gained. Longevity literacy and healthier life choices are vital for a life that is longer and of higher quality.”

In an ageing world, remaining healthier for longer is crucial. By 2050, one in six people globally will be aged 65 and over. Ensuring that these longer lives are also healthier lives is going to be essential to help countries’ economies, health services and social welfare systems.

All of ILC’s findings and the final results will be published in a report that will be launched during the awards ceremony today in Paris.

For more information about the Going for gold project and to read the final report and see the full Healthy Ageing Medal Table, visit the ILC’s website here.

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