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🇮🇹 Italy /Health & Science

Japanese women lead world in longevity for 41st year, men also see gains

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Japanese women continue to lead the world in life expectancy for the 41st consecutive year, reaching an average of 87.33 years in 2025.
  • Japanese men also saw an increase in life expectancy, reaching 81.35 years, though they dropped from sixth to seventh place globally.
  • The gains are attributed to a decrease in mortality from certain cancers and heart diseases, with Japan ranking third among women and Italy among men.

Japanese women have once again secured the top spot globally for life expectancy, marking 41 consecutive years at the forefront. In 2025, their average lifespan reached 87.33 years, an increase of 0.20 years. Men in Japan also experienced a rise in longevity, with their average life expectancy climbing to 81.35 years, an increase of 0.25 years. However, this improvement saw them slip from sixth to seventh place in the global rankings.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare attributes these advances to a decline in deaths from specific types of cancer and heart disease. In the female rankings, Japan leads South Korea and Spain. Among men, Sweden holds the top position, followed by Switzerland and Italy.

Projections indicate that infants born in 2025 have a 39.70% chance of dying from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases, a decrease from the previous year. For male infants, the risk stands at 45.03%, also lower than the prior year. These figures are part of the ministry's annual "abbreviated mortality table."

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ANSA in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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