Study reveals UK has the largest female health gap in G20

According to WHO, men are living healthier and longer lives than ever before but are still more likely to be burdened by illness and are outlived by women in every country.

Scientists are even reporting a coronavirus risk gap. Despite the infection rate being relatively equal between the sexes, the death rate for men is estimated to be 2.8 percent, compared with 1.7 percent for women.

With this in mind, Manual, the wellbeing platform for men, has analysed health data* for 156 countries worldwide across ten categories – including life expectancy, rates of diseases such as diabetes, cancer and obesity, mental health disorders and daily alcohol intake – to find out where has the largest gender health gaps.

Out of the 156 countries studied, men face greater health risks in 58 percent of nations.

It’s widely acknowledged that women are more likely to outlive men in wealthy nations but how do G20 countries**, the most advanced and emerging economies in the world, compare?

The data reveals the men’s health gap is largest in Russia (-50) and South Korea (-39). Four further G20 countries in Asia follow this trend – Japan (-27), India (-26), Indonesia (-24) and China (-23):

Surprisingly, over half of the G20 countries studied have healthier men than women. The UK has the largest G20 female health gap, where women are worse off. It’s also the 12^th largest globally.

There’s a difference of 38 places between where UK men (87/156) and women (125/156) rank globally amongst their peers across different health and wellbeing categories.

But why is the UK’s women’s health score so low?

When examining how UK women scored in each category, there are several which are significantly lower compared to women in the rest of the world. This, in turn, widens the gap between the UK’s men’s health score.

The female cancer score in the UK is 144th/156 in the world. In comparison, the UK men’s score is 138/156.