Public sector workers live longer than most other Australian workers, recent stats show.

It appears the enlivening effects of the public service are particularly strong for women, and can add years of vitality.

These are the findings of a study by financial services group Mercer, which looked at life expectancy across industries as an important metric for superannuation planning.

The Mercer report says half of all retiring public servants will live four years longer than the average life expectancy, which is 84 years for men.

The figures show fifty per cent of women public servants should live to 91, years above the average female life expectancy of 87.

The report says a tendency toward longer lives should be reflected across Australia’s eight million white-collar workers.

The forecasters at Mercer say this kind of study is particularly important for federal and state governments planning public sector pension liability.