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Widowhood affects men more than women

Monday, 31 August 2026 06:35

A University of Geneva study has confirmed what demographers call the "widowhood effect", and it hits Swiss men harder than women

Researchers analysed Swiss census and civil-registry data from 2011 to 2022.

Among men aged 60 to 69, 6.7 per cent of widowers died within five years, against 4.3 per cent of those still married. The gap for women was narrower, though the pattern is similar.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause, especially among men.

Traditional roles, where wives organised the couple's social and emotional life, may leave older widowers particularly exposed.

 

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