Why do some areas like Hauts-de-France have reduced longevity compared to their neighbours? And what can you do if you live in an area where people usually die younger?
When looking at longevity, it’s common, as in Blue Zones, to examine positive examples, and see what we can learn from people who live in areas with the longest lives in the world. But there’s also something to be learned from the opposite: areas where people live shorter lives compared to similar neighbouring communities.
And there’s one area very close to the UK that fits this profile: Lille, capital of the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
The Hauts-de-France region has the lowest life expectancy among mainland French regions. The average life expectancy is 80.05 years (76.7 for men and 83.4 for women). In contrast, the average for France as a whole is 83.33 years (80.43 for men and 86.09 for women).
Ironically, located in the very heart of the city is The Institut Pasteur de Lille, a major hub for aging research, preventive medicine, and healthy longevity programs in France.
So why, on average, do people in the Hauts-de-France region live shorter lives than their fellow compatriots? To find out, we paid a visit to the city of Lille and surrounding areas, including Arras. What we learned through research and on the ground, was that were are four key potential reasons for reduced lifespan in Hauts-de-France. Let’s look at each in turn, and how you can best protect yourself from them if you live in a similar region.
1) Socioeconomic deprivation
One reason suggested for the Hauts-de-France region’s lower than average lifespan is socioeconomic deprivation. And indeed, when we compare the area’s GDP per capita, we see that it has the lowest of all mainland France, with a GDP per capita of 34,405 Euros.
In contrast, Ile de France has a GDP per capita of 72,452 Euros (the highest GDP per capita in France), and ranks highest in longevity, with an average lifespan of 83.10 years.
In the UK, the Health Foundation observes that “deprived areas have the lowest life expectancy and healthy life expectancy”. This is put down to a number of factors, including unhealthier lifestyles such as higher rates of smoking, greater alcohol use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity.
Hauts-de-France is recorded as having the highest level of obesity in France, with 22.1% of adults overweight. We noticed that the local markets in Hauts-de-France had fewer fresh food and artisan food stalls than markets in the Occitanie region of southwestern France, which enjoys a higher average lifespan.
We also observed fewer people cycling and walking, compared to other parts of France and northern Europe we have visited recently. This is reflected in heath data, which shows that just 5% to 9% of school-aged children in northern France meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day.
Interestingly, Hauts-de-France doesn’t have a particularly high number of people who smoke, compared to France as a whole. And fewer adults aged 18–75 report having monthly heavy drinking episodes (14.8%) compared to the French national average (16.5%).
In both touristy areas, such as the centre of Lille, and residential areas around the city we visited to observe everyday life, we didn’t notice as many people smoking compared to areas like the Alps and southern France.
2) Higher rates of disease
Hauts-de-France has a higher than average mortality rate from disease, compared to the rest of mainland France (with the exception of mental and behavioural disorders). The leading causes of death in the region in 2023 were cancers, diseases of the circulatory system and respiratory diseases.
The single, leading cause of death in the region is tumours, with higher-than-average premature mortality rates (especially among men under 65). Given that diet and body weight are significant risk factors for cancer, you can’t help but connect lifestyle trends in the region with its lower longevity.
While in Lille, we made an effort to seek out local restaurants to get a taste (literally!) of what people who live in the area eat. And while delicious, we did notice more dairy (cream and cheese sauces), red meat (especially cured meats) and carbs (the area is famous for, and rightly proud of, its chips) on the menu than we have seen in Southern France, where the Mediterranean diet seems more popular.
3) Barriers to healthcare
There’s a bit of a dichotomy in the region’s healthcare picture. It’s known that poorer populations often experience reduced access to or delayed use of preventative medicine and early treatment for conditions.
However, Hauts-de-France is a major health and biotech hub, with over 300 hospitals and clinics. This includes two major University Hospital Centres at Lille CHU (with over 16,000 professionals and 3,200 beds) and Amiens CHU. You can also find specialised research institutions like the aforementioned Lille Pasteur Institute, and the Eurasanté business and research park in Lille.
But despite this, the region consistently struggles with everyday access to general practitioners (GPs) and specialists. Large rural and semi-urban areas of the region are also “medical deserts” due to an aging medical workforce and lower density of local practices compared to the national average.
The definition of a medical desert in France is an area in which patients have access to fewer than 2.5 consultations with a local GP per year on average.
In the village of Brunehamel, Aisne, a pharmacist says the doctor’s surgery he built six years ago is empty, after the last GP moved away. If residents need medical help now they must access telemedicine via video call, a situation that clearly discriminates against older residents and those without access to, or uncomfortable with technology and good WiFi.
4) Social isolation
We know that social isolation is a significant contributory factor to early death. So much so, that it’s considered as bad for your health as smoking. And again, loneliness is connected to greater poverty; research from the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford found that people living in poverty are significantly more likely to experience loneliness than those on higher incomes.
This tallies with what research shows us about the lifestyles and wellbeing of people who live in the Hauts-de-France. According to an annual study on loneliness by the Fondation de France, 23% of those over 15 years of age “are objectively alone”. (The rate for France as a whole is 15%.)
One contributory factor to this could be the historical job losses in heavy industry and the mining sector. These have created long-term structural and social damage, breaking down traditional working-class community frameworks and neighbourhood cohesion over generations. Integration into the labour market is also difficult, with high unemployment and particular difficulties for young people.
This is exacerbated in more rural areas outside the metropolitan parts of the region we visited, such as Lille, Amiens, Arras and Beauvais, where almost a third of the population live.
With social isolation in mind, we wanted to see how easy it was to get around the region. And while access to major towns and cities was smooth, thanks to regular buses and trains, we found getting to rural areas without a car outside morning and evening rush hours tricky. This can particularly impact young people and the elderly.
Again, this contrasts with our experiences in other areas in France where we have been easily able to travel between rural villages and large towns and cities during the day using local buses.
What can you do if you live in an area like Hauts-de-France?
So what can you do if you live in an area like Hauts-de-France, with a lower-than-average-lifespan – other than move? As you can see by the four biggest potential contributory factors, they aren’t all connected specifically to the geographical area (aside from transportation and access to healthcare), but in many cases to lifestyle.
While you can’t magic up a job or extra money if you are without, there are some things you can do to improve your own longevity, no matter your location. These include:
- Being proactive about looking after your health
- Getting help for any medical conditions or symptoms early
- Eating a healthy, home-cooked diet
- Making an effort to spend time with people you love
- Finding activities and hobbies you enjoy and meeting like-minded people
- Keeping active
- Stopping smoking and drinking alcohol within safe limits
The Blue Zones prove that living in a lower-income or economically modest region doesn’t automatically mean you’re not going to live as long. But you may need to make more of an effort to seek out healthier habits and surround yourself with a community that can help you thrive.
