Regularities in the gender gap in life expectancy at birth in European post-communist countries

The aim of the article is to find patterns in the gender gap in life expectancy at birth in European post-communist countries. The analysis covers the years 1990–2018. Larger differences occur in the countries of the former USSR, smaller ones on the Balkan Peninsula. Belonging to the USSR (larger gap) and the Ottoman Empire (smaller gap) in the past has a great influence of the gender gap. In half of the analysed countries, the gender gap decreased. In a quarter, after an initial increase, there was also a decrease in the gender gap (some countries of the former USSR). Moreover, in a quarter of the countries, these changes were ambiguous (some countries on the Balkan Peninsula). One can see here the impact of an improving economic situation of the population. An attempt to link the gender gap and life expectancy with the ’homo-sovieticus’ requires further research.