Japan's women set long life record for 20th year
Key points
- Japanese women had a life expectancy of 85.59 years in 2004, making them the world's longest living group for the 20th consecutive year, the government said on Friday.
- Japanese men trailed with a life expectancy of 78.64 years, which placed them second for longevity after Icelandic men, who live an average of 78.8 years.
- The government attributes Japanese longevity to a range of factors, including a healthy diet and improving medical care, a spokeswoman for the Health Ministry said.
- The Japanese diet tends to be rich in vegetables and fish products and relatively low in animal fats.
Japanese women had a life expectancy of 85.59 years in 2004, making them the world's longest living group for the 20th consecutive year, the government said on Friday.
Japanese men trailed with a life expectancy of 78.64 years, which placed them second for longevity after Icelandic men, who live an average of 78.8 years.
The government attributes Japanese longevity to a range of factors, including a healthy diet and improving medical care, a spokeswoman for the Health Ministry said.
The Japanese diet tends to be rich in vegetables and fish products and relatively low in animal fats.
But long life expectancies combined with a tumbling birth rate may be storing up problems for Japan, where one in five of the population is over 65 and the figure is expected to jump to one in four in the next decade.
Women in Hong Kong were the second longest living group in the world, according to Japanese government figures, followed by Swiss women.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Women's Health →
NewsOverweight women may have longer labor
Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant generally spend a longer time in labor than thinner women do, a new study suggests. Past research has shown that obese women undergo cesarean sections at about…
6 November 2004
NewsWomen waiting longer to have first child
The average age at which American women are having their first child has climbed to an all-time high of 25.1, the government said Wednesday. The rise reflects a drop in teen births and an increase in the number of women…
1 January 2003
NewsSalt intake appears to have little impact on bone health in menopausal women
A low-salt diet does not necessarily translate to stronger bones in postmenopausal women, physician-scientists report. "When we started the study, we thought we were going to be telling everyone again that a low-salt…
