Japanese women are longest-living people for the 22nd consecutive year, in 2006. Their average lifespan of 85.81 years; with their longevity having increased by 160 days from 2005. These are the recently released findings of the Japanese government and the United Nations.
The improvement is being attributed to….a reduction in the three major causes of deaths among the Japanese: cancer, heart disease and strokes, according to a health ministry official.
“There also were fewer deaths from influenza among the elderly in 2006 compared with the previous year,” he said.
Hong Kong women came second at 84.6 years.
Swiss and Spanish women were tied for third at 83.9 years.
Longest Living Men
As for the male species, Icelandic men, who live an average of 79.4 years are the oldest living, with Japanese men in second place, with average lifespans up 106 days to 79.00 years.
Hong Kong men were third, living 78.8 years on average.
The Japanese longevity is thought to be due to the nations traditional healthy diet and high standard of medical care. The flip side of this aging population is a fear of a future demographic crisis with a smaller pool of young people supporting a mass of elderly. Forecasters predict that if the trends of a low birthrate and high life-expectancy continue, by 2055, two in every five Japanese people will be 65 or older.
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