TOKYO - The average life expectancy for Japanese women and men in 2025 increased compared with the previous year as the mortality rate for some forms of cancer and heart disease declined, with women ranking first in the world for the 41st straight year, government data showed Friday.
The average life expectancy for women rose by 0.20 year to 87.33 years and for men by 0.25 year to 81.35 years. The men's rank, however, slipped to seventh from sixth despite the increase, according to the data by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Japan was followed in the global ranking for women by South Korea at 86.6 and Spain at 86.53. Among men, Sweden ranked first at 82.52, followed by Switzerland at 82.4 and Italy at 81.74, the ministry's annual abridged life table showed.
The data included projections showing that Japanese female infants in 2025 have a 39.70 percent risk of dying from cancer, heart disease or cerebrovascular disease, while the corresponding risk for male infants is 45.03 percent. The figures were down 0.59 and 0.38 percentage points, respectively, from the previous year.
The abridged life table is compiled annually using the estimated population and other information.
The complete life table is compiled from the results of the national census conducted every five years.
