Society

Average life expectancy in Japan falls for 2nd straight year

TOKYO, Jul 29 (NHK) - The average life expectancies of Japanese men and women dropped in 2022 for the second year in a row. The health ministry suggests deaths from the coronavirus were a major factor.

The ministry says the average lifespan for women was 87.09 years, down 0.49 years from 2021. The figure for men fell by 0.42 years to 81.05 years.

Life expectancy for women was the highest in the world. Men ranked fourth after Switzerland, Sweden and Australia.

The ministry says the probabilities of death from COVID-19, heart diseases and old age rose in 2022 from the year before.

A total of 47,635 people died from the coronavirus, up more than 30,000 from 2021.

Health ministry officials say the average life spans could increase again as the pandemic eases.

Source: 日テレNEWS

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