The Greeks they envied Methuselah and they want to… (over)reduce them. One in two Greeks consider the ideal age to be would like to reach, at 103 years, as shown by the 2023 Longevity Survey conducted by the NN group.

In more detail, from the survey published on the insurance company’s website, it appears that 103 years is the age to which Greeks would like to live, 82 is the age they think they will live to, 74 years old is the age at which someone is considered elderly in Greece and 61 years old is the age at which they wish to retire. Meanwhile, 69% of Greeks look forward to being able to live longer and 50% of Greeks believe they are prepared to live longer.

But living a long and healthy life does not only mean living as many years as possible, but also being able to enjoy it to the fullest. Thus, the research shows what people consider to contribute to a good quality of life. Key parameters cited as enhancing longevity are: The power of change, mental well-being, social connections and lifelong learning.

Regarding the power of change, 45% answered that difficult situations are an opportunity to grow and learn. 41% say that it is easy for them to make choices and 32% that they can easily manage the stress created by situations of uncertainty.

Men tend to feel more comfortable in uncertain situations (38% say they are confident they can handle stress compared to 27% of women) while the rates are similar for risk-taking with 24% of men describing it as an exciting process as opposed to 11% of women.

Regarding mental well-being, one in five (19%) say they feel stressed or depressed most of the time, 82% say they live within a ten-minute walk of a green space (note that for urban environments there is a positive correlation between happiness of people and how close their home is to the tribe), 78% of Greeks are looking for ways to reduce anxiety/stress with a view to living longer, 22% declare that they are most of the time carefree while over half young people (51%) state that they find it difficult to adapt to the pace of today’s fast life, compared to only 33% of older people. At the same time, the older people (65 and over) declare that they are particularly satisfied with their lives as 37% rate their life between 8-10 on a scale with 10 being excellent.

As far as social ties are concerned, one in ten feel lonely(9%) with higher percentages in younger people compared to older people and in women compared to men. However, 72% of Greeks feel that they are part of the community they belong to and one in three agree with the statement “I like to chat with strangers I meet during the day”.

In lifelong learning, 61% of the workforce has invested heavily in developing professional skills and knowledge in the past three years, while 89% say they are always looking to learn new things about their profession and 72% say their likes to take constructive criticism.

More generally, the Greeks consider the following five key factors for a long life:

  • Health and Wellness, at a rate of 60%
  • Money and Financial Security, at 38%
  • The Power of Adaptation, at a rate of 34%
  • Having a purpose in life, at a rate of 33%
  • Retirement, at a rate of 23%.

The survey was carried out between January and February 2023 on a sample of 11,585, of which 1,284 were Greeks.