According to a research-based analysis published by BMJ Open, a medical journal, the statistics proved that since 1850, 25 per cent and 50 per cent of men have outlived women on all continents.
“Sometimes large differences in life expectancy mask substantial overlap in lifespan,” the researchers said.
The analysis found that married men were 39 per cent more likely to outlive women, compared to just 37 per cent for those staying single. Men with a university degree saw their odds of a long life rise to 43 per cent, compared to just 39 per cent for men only having a high school diploma.
It further found that the rate of men outliving women had been falling until the 1970s in developed nations. However, the probability is now increasing across all populations.
The researchers wrote that the changes in life expectancy are mainly linked with differences in smoking and other behaviours, adding that a more nuanced approach to sex differences in survival is needed.
“Efforts in reducing lifespan inequalities must thus target diverse factors, causes and ages,” concluded the study.