Australian public service workers live 4 years longer: study

Australian government workers will live almost four years longer than other workers, according to a new study released on Wednesday.

Research from financial services company Mercer shows male workers in Australia's state and federal public sectors have an average life expectancy of 88 compared to 84 years in the private sector.

And female bureaucrats will live on average to 91 compared to 87 years in the general population.

Mercer's managing director David Anderson said the implications of the research are far reaching and should hit home for individuals, businesses and policy makers in relation to superannuation savings.

"We know half of all public sector workers which can fairly be extrapolated to apply to Australia's nearly 8 million white collar workers - will live well beyond the average and we need to begin planning more accurately for financial security at a personal and macro level," he said in a statement.