Elderly people paint in Hibiya Park in Tokyo. [Getty Images]
Elderly people paint in Hibiya Park in Tokyo. [Getty Images]

Japanese life expectancy rose again last year, with women extending their record as the world's longest-lived for the 41st consecutive year.

According to NHK, citing data released Friday by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average life expectancy for Japanese women stood at 87.33 years last year, while men reached 81.35 years.

Women's life expectancy increased by 0.2 years from the previous year, while men's rose by 0.25 years.

Japanese women have held the top spot globally every year since 1985, cementing the country's reputation as a leader in longevity.

Japanese men ranked seventh in the world, behind Sweden, Switzerland and Italy, among others.

Japan's average life expectancy dipped temporarily following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake before recovering. It fell again during the COVID-19 pandemic as infection-related deaths increased, but has been trending upward since 2023.


betterj@heraldcorp.com