Japanese life expectancy at all-time high

Jul 31 (NHK) - The average life expectancy in Japan reached record highs for both men and women last year.

Japan's health ministry says the average lifespan in 2020 was 87.74 years for women, up 0.3 years from 2019, and 81.64 years for men, up 0.22 years.

The average life expectancy has been hitting new highs for Japanese men and women since 2012, one year after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck off northeastern Japan.

By international comparison, Japanese women ranked second after Hong Kong, while Japanese men were third following Hong Kong and Switzerland.

Last year, the number of people who died from the coronavirus rose. However, fatality rates from cancer, heart ailments and cerebrovascular disease have dropped, pushing up the average lifespan.

Health ministry officials say the thorough implementation of anti-infection measures during the coronavirus pandemic has helped to lower deaths from influenza and other illnesses and resulted in a relatively large increase in longevity.

They predict that people will be able to live longer thanks to advances in medical care.

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