Japan’s life expectancy continues to increase; Japanese women still the world’s number one

July 16, 1:36 PMJapan Headlines ExaminerJoshua Williams

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(AP photo/file)

Are sushi and sake the key to living a long life? One can only wonder as the average life expectancy in Japan continues to increase according to a report by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

Average life expectancy in Japan

The report indicates that in 2008 the average life expectancy of Japanese women was 86.05 years, an increase of .06 years from 2007. According to the Japanese media, this puts Japanese women on top of the list of the world’s longest living females for the 24th year in a row. They list Hong Hong at number two and France at number three.

The Ministry report says that the average life expectancy for Japanese men in 2008 was 79.29, an increase of .10 years compared with 2007. The Japanese media proclaim this as being ranked 4th among men in the world, after Iceland, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

The report from the Ministry reveals the top causes of Japanese death as cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders.

It also indicated that there are still a number of people over the age of 100 in Japan.

Average life expectancy in America

For the curious, the average life expectancy for an American woman is 80.69 years according to a 2009 CIA estimate. American men live for an average of 75.65 years.

The CIA ranked Japan at number 3 for the top average life expectancy and America at number 50 in 2009.

(article slightly revised on 7/16/2009)