Japan Average Life Expectancy Rises in 2025

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The average life expectancy rose by 0.25 year from the previous year to 81.35 years for Japanese men in 2025 and by 0.2 year to 87.33 years for Japanese women, a health ministry survey showed on Friday. The ministry believes the increases are due to a decrease in deaths caused by cancer, heart disease and COVID-19. Average life expectancy indicates how many years newborns in a given year are expected to live, on average. Japan’s average life expectancy had mostly steadily increased since 1947 but declined in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The index rebounded in 2023, thanks to a decline in COVID-19 deaths, and remained almost flat in 2024. Compared with other countries, Japan ranked seventh in male life expectancy, following Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and others, while taking the top spot in female life expectancy. Assuming that mortality rates do not change, 76.0 pct of Japanese men and 88.1 pct of Japanese women are expected to live at least until the age of 75. Those who are expected to reach the age of 90 account for 26.7 pct of men and 50.8 pct of women. Of Japanese men born in 2025, 25.41 pct are expected to die from cancer, and 13.60 pct from heart disease. Among women, old age is expected to be the most common death cause, at 21.74 pct, followed by cancer, at 18.95 pct. Without any cancer deaths, the average life expectancy is estimated to be 3.07 years higher for men and 2.66 years higher for women than when such deaths are included. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]