Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
F4: Income and living conditions: Quality of life
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
30 January 2020
2.2. Metadata last posted
30 January 2020
2.3. Metadata last update
14 February 2025
3.1. Data description
Healthy life expectancy based on self-perceived health describes how many years a person is expected to live in good perceived health. Indicator combines mortality data with data on self-perceived health (Source: EU-SILC).
3.2. Classification system
There are no special classifications for the data set produced here.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The calculation of Health expectancies is based on information on mortality and self-perceived health data.
Variable : Self-perceived general health (How is your health in general? Is it ... [very good] [good] [fair] [bad] [very bad]).
The good perceived health takes in answer categories "very good", "good" and "fair" self-perceived health.
The question does not measure temporary health problems. It refers to health in general rather than the present state of health. It also includes the different dimensions of health, i.e. physical, social and emotional function and bimedical signs and symptoms. Respondents are not specifically asked to compare their health with others of the same age or with their own previous or future health state.
3.5. Statistical unit
Statistical observations are individuals.
3.6. Statistical population
The whole EU population aged 15+ is covered.
3.7. Reference area
European Union, EU Member States, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Croatia.
3.8. Coverage - Time
2004 onwards for Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway;
2005 onwards for the other EU Member States, except Bulgaria and Romania for which the series starts in 2006 respectively 2007.
Data for Switzerland are available from 2008 and for Croatia from 2010.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Indicator Health expectancies based on self-perceived health is presented for women and men and at different ages (at birth, at 50 and at 65).
Reference year is defined as the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation (EU) 2021/522 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 establishing a Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health (‘EU4Health Programme’) for the period 2021-2027, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 282/2014
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
March/N+2; (N = year of data collection)
8.2. Release calendar access
Information upon request.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Member States are urged to use standardised questionnaire, however between 2004 and 2008 the implementation of the health questions in the different SILC questionnaire in national languages was not fully harmonised and this limits the comparability across countries and over time.
For instance: In Finland, from 2007 onwards, answer categories were changed for the question of self-perceived health in order to be in accordance with the standard version of Questionnaire. This caused a break in seris for Finnish data before and after 2007.
There are also cultural differences between countries, that might influence the interpretation and answers to the question of self-perceived health. However combining answer categories "very good", "good" and "fair" self perceived health reduce this influence.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Institutional users like other Commission services, particularly DG SANTE, DG EMPL.
Researchers.
End users - including the media - interested in public health in the EU.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
12.3. Completeness
Data on health expectancies based on self-perceived health are considered to be very complete.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Institutional households are not included in the EU-SILC. It is assumed that the population living in the private households covered by EU-SILC is representative for the total population.
For almost all countries the timeliness of the HLY indicators is around 15 months. Timeliness is different for the health status data and mortality data. Please consult timeliness in metadata pages of Income and Living conditions and Mortality (demo_mor).
14.2. Punctuality
Punctuality is different for health related data from EU-SILC and mortality data but is considered to be very good for almost all countries.
Comparability is determined by the comparability of the data sources.
EU-SILC is based on a common framework defined by harmonized lists of target primary and secondary variables, common concepts, a recommended design, common requirements (for imputation, weighting, sampling errors calculation) and classifications aiming at maximising comparability of the information produced. See the ESMS pages of SILC.
Comparability for the mortality data, conducted as a joint demographic data collection in cooperation with United Nation Statistical Division (UNSD), is considered very high. See the ESMS pages of mortality.
Indicator is derived from other data sources and in this sense costs and burden for countries in the calculation, description and evaluation are very limited.
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data.
Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated.
Data may be published even if they are missing for certain countries or flagged as provisional or of low reliability for some of them. They are replaced with final data once transmitted and validated. European aggregates are updated accordingly.
Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated. There is no specific updating schedule for incorporating ‘spontaneously’ provided new data.
Revisions of previously released EU-SILC data may happen in case adjustments are implemented at national level (for example, the availability of new census data) or in other exceptional cases (for examples changes in the indicator definitions or in the EU-SILC methodology).
No substantial country-specific revisions are applied at the national level (the main driver of data revisions being changes that are coordinated within the ESS).
The EU-SILC team promptly shares information on any data revision with the Income and Living conditions Working Group members as well as with the Social Protection Committee – Indicators Sub-Group.
18.1. Source data
For the mortality part: demography statistics.
For the health status: EU-SILC
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
See the metadata pages of mortality statistics and EU-SILC.
18.4. Data validation
Please see data validation procedures in the metadata pages of mortality and EU-SILC statistics.
18.5. Data compilation
Indicator is calculated by the Sullivan method based on life table data and age-specific period prevalence data of the health status in question. See the methodological document in Annex.
18.6. Adjustment
To find statistical procedures used for adjusting the data, please refer to the ESMS pages of mortality and EU-SILC statistics.
No comments.
hlth_hlye_esms - Healthy life years by sex (from 2004 onwards)
Healthy life expectancy based on self-perceived health describes how many years a person is expected to live in good perceived health. Indicator combines mortality data with data on self-perceived health (Source: EU-SILC).
14 February 2025
The calculation of Health expectancies is based on information on mortality and self-perceived health data.
Variable : Self-perceived general health (How is your health in general? Is it ... [very good] [good] [fair] [bad] [very bad]).
The good perceived health takes in answer categories "very good", "good" and "fair" self-perceived health.
The question does not measure temporary health problems. It refers to health in general rather than the present state of health. It also includes the different dimensions of health, i.e. physical, social and emotional function and bimedical signs and symptoms. Respondents are not specifically asked to compare their health with others of the same age or with their own previous or future health state.
Statistical observations are individuals.
The whole EU population aged 15+ is covered.
European Union, EU Member States, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Croatia.
Reference year is defined as the calendar year.
Institutional households are not included in the EU-SILC. It is assumed that the population living in the private households covered by EU-SILC is representative for the total population.
Indicator Health expectancies based on self-perceived health is presented for women and men and at different ages (at birth, at 50 and at 65).
Indicator is calculated by the Sullivan method based on life table data and age-specific period prevalence data of the health status in question. See the methodological document in Annex.
For the mortality part: demography statistics.
For the health status: EU-SILC
Yearly.
For almost all countries the timeliness of the HLY indicators is around 15 months. Timeliness is different for the health status data and mortality data. Please consult timeliness in metadata pages of Income and Living conditions and Mortality (demo_mor).
Comparability is determined by the comparability of the data sources.
EU-SILC is based on a common framework defined by harmonized lists of target primary and secondary variables, common concepts, a recommended design, common requirements (for imputation, weighting, sampling errors calculation) and classifications aiming at maximising comparability of the information produced. See the ESMS pages of SILC.
Comparability for the mortality data, conducted as a joint demographic data collection in cooperation with United Nation Statistical Division (UNSD), is considered very high. See the ESMS pages of mortality.
