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.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]