Average lifespan in EU tops 80: study

The average lifespan of people in the EU has topped 80 for the first time, but preventable illnesses caused by smoking, alcohol and obesity are taking a huge toll, a study said Wednesday.

Gains were uneven as people in western European Union countries lived more than eight years longer on average than people in central and eastern countries, said the report by the European Commission and the OECD.

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"More needs to be done to reduce inequalities," said Angel Gurria, head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as he launched the report in Brussels.

The study said life expectancy across the 28-nation bloc has risen from 74.2 years in 1990 to 80.9 years in 2014 -- the last year for which data were available -- topping 80 for the first time.