Expansionary Institute

Japanese Longevity Stretches World Record to 84 Years (Biogenesis),

Japanese Longevity Stretches World Record to 84 Years

.c Kyodo News Service

TOKYO, July 31 (Kyodo) - The average length of life of Japanese women reached 84.93 years in 2001, with that of men at 78.07 years, extending the world records they set in previous years, the health ministry said Wednesday in a report on life expectancy data.

The average length of life for Japanese women rose 0.33 year from 2000, marking the 17th straight year as the longest in the world, according to the 2001 version of the ''abridged life tables for Japan'' released by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

The tables show how long a population at specified ages is expected to live, provided that conditions conducive to deaths remain unchanged. The average length of life refers to life expectancy at birth.

The life expectancy for Japanese men in 2001 was 0.35 year longer than in 2000, making it the world's longest among males, but the title remains provisional because data from Hong Kong and Iceland, which have been on a par with Japan in recent years, have not been released.

''In addition to progress in medical science and the improvement in health and hygiene conditions, the fact that no major flu outbreaks occurred has been a big factor,'' a ministry official said.

Japanese women are trailed by their counterparts in Hong Kong, whose life expectancy is 83.9 years on average, and those in France and Switzerland, where the life expectancy is 82.5.

Japanese men are followed by Hong Kong males, with their life expectancy at 78.0 years, and Icelanders, with 77.6 years.

The report estimates that cancer will be the top killer of men and women in 2001, followed by cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Men would live an average 4.12 years longer and women 3.05 years if they overcome cancer, according to the latest report.

07/31/02 10:27 EDT

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