It's official - working is good for your health.

New research shows that older workers have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and arthritis than their non-working peers.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics report has revealed that mature workers aged between 45 and 74 years were less likely to have a chronic health condition than retirees.

Cardiovascular disease and arthritis each affect about 25 per cent of mature workers compared with 50 per cent of those who do not work.

However 7 per cent of mature-age people said their work was partly responsible for causing a chronic condition such as arthritis, asthma, cancer or mental illness.

Work-related complaints included a high number of disc problems (42 per cent), back problems (41 per cent and hearing loss (32 per cent).

Tradespeople aged 45-74 years were more likely to have a chronic health condition (84 per cent) than professionals (75 per cent).

Even with a major health condition, more than half of older workers described their health as very good or excellent compared with only a third of those not working.

Older people who study are also more likely to have better health, Adult Learning Australia states.

"Studies show that people who remain actively engaged through life-long learning and participation in their communities experience greater levels of general well-being, suffer less depression and illness and are less likely to get dementia," Adult Learning Australia's Julia Gane said.

One in four Australians aged over 50 participated in some form of education in the past 12 months. Technology courses - the most popular - attracted one in five older students.

Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association president Nan Bosler said technology bridged the generation gap. "When my grandson was younger, we'd design party invitations together and that was wonderful."

The 73-year-old has five degrees, all of which she completed after turning 50, and hopes to get a PhD.

"It's really important to learn new things and share that with other people," she said.

Australians are now expected to live longer than ever, with research from the Department of Health and Ageing revealing that, by 2060, women will live to 90 and men to their mid-80s.

This marks a seven-year increase in life expectancy compared with babies born today, with women likely to live to 83.7 and men estimated to reach 79.

Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot said the data reflected medical advances and healthier lifestyles.

The Commonwealth's aged-care costs are expected to rise from 3 to 9 per cent of total expenditure by 2050.