High-earning UK professionals are increasingly investing in longevity-focused healthcare – and turning to international providers to access emerging and specialist treatments – according to Axa Global.
The insurer’s Longevity Investment Study 2026 was conducted by Obsurvant on behalf of Axa Global Healthcare. The UK sample comprised 259 respondents, all in the top 10% of earners, at senior manager level or above, who travel internationally at least once a year. The study also surveyed 272 respondents in Germany and 269 in France.
Demand intensifying
The report found that more than eight in 10 (85%) high-earning UK professionals have spent money on longevity-related interventions in the past year, with average annual spend reaching £9,793.
Around 15% said they have spent more than £10,000 annually, while nearly one in 10 (8%) say their annual outlay exceeds £50,000.
And rather than a short-term trend, demand is expected to intensify – nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents say they plan to increase their investment in the next three years, including 5% who do not currently spend but intend to start.
Shift towards preventative and self-directed healthcare
The research found spending is concentrated across a broad mix of preventative and lifestyle-led interventions.
This includes fitness and personal training (53%), mental health, sleep optimisation and stress management (36%) and personalised nutrition and metabolic health programmes, including weight-loss medications (29%).
But continuous health monitoring, such as glucose tracking and wearables (18%), longevity-directed medications and supplements, including experimental use (16%), advanced diagnostic screening (15%) and specialist and concierge-led medical care (13%) also featured among these interventions.
The findings indicated a growing shift towards self-directed, preventative healthcare among affluent professionals – with implications for how insurance products are positioned, particularly around preventative care access and global treatment flexibility.
Growing role of international healthcare access
Cross-border healthcare was found to be a key feature of this behaviour.
Almost half (47%) of respondents have already travelled abroad for treatment, while a further 37% would consider doing so in future.
Key drivers include perceived quality of care (36%), cost (35%) and access to leading specialists (33%). Nearly a quarter (23%) cite access to treatments not yet approved in the UK, while the same proportion are motivated by early access to emerging therapies.
Rising expectations
Respondents were found to be highly optimistic about the outcomes of these interventions, with more than half (53%) expecting to gain at least six additional healthy years.
Xavier Lestrade, managing director of Axa Health International, which operates Axa Global Healthcare, (pictured) said: “We’re now seeing a clear shift in how affluent, internationally mobile professionals approach their health.
“Longevity is no longer something people leave to chance – it has become an active, planned investment.
“This is reflected in the conversations we’re having with individuals, who are placing far greater emphasis on preventative care, early diagnostics and access to specialist expertise. A growing number are also travelling internationally to access leading clinicians and the best care available to them.
“For this audience, having the right health insurance in place isn’t just about protection – it’s part of how they manage their health proactively. They want the flexibility and global access to do that wherever they are in the world.”
Expectations running ahead of the data
Dr Mayoni Gooneratne, longevity expert and functional medicine director at PHC, said: “Expecting to add six or more healthy years through health and wellbeing interventions may sound ambitious, but it’s not entirely out of step with the evidence.
“Large-scale studies consistently show that combining core lifestyle changes – like staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, eating well and not smoking – can add around six to seven years of life, much of it in better health.
“However, expectations are running ahead of the data when it comes to some emerging treatments and so-called ‘biohacks’. There’s understandable excitement around drugs like metformin and rapamycin, but the evidence in humans is still at an early stage.
“We’re seeing promising signals and strong results in animal studies, but robust data on extending lifespan in people just isn’t there yet.
“For those considering longevity treatments – whether at home or abroad – it’s important to ask for published outcome data and ensure clinics operate within recognised regulatory or academic frameworks. Medical oversight, clear follow-up plans and ongoing monitoring are essential – the intervention itself is only part of the picture.”