Japanese girls born last year can expect to live to an average age of 85.8 years, making them the longest-lived in the world, according to figures released by the government on Thursday.

Their male compatriots fare less well, with a life expectancy of 79 years, second to Icelandic men at 79.4 years, the Health Ministry said.

Japan's women have topped the world's longevity ranks for 22 consecutive years, something researchers have attributed to their healthy diet and tight social ties.

Improved treatment of the ageing population's three biggest killers -- cancer, heart disease and stroke-- has helped push life expectancy to record highs, a ministry official said.

After the Japanese, Taiwanese women are the world's second longest-lived at 84.6 years, then Spanish and Swiss women at 83.9 years, the report said.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists Japan's 114-year-old Yone Minagawa and 111-year-old Tomoji Tanabe, as the world's oldest person and oldest man, respectively.

But increasing life expectancy and a scarcity of babies in Japan have fuelled concern about how the world's oldest society will fund its pension requirements.



据日本政府本周四公布的统计数据，日本女性的平均预期寿命为85.8岁，是世界上寿命最长的人群。

据日本卫生省介绍，日本男性的平均寿命为79岁，仅次于冰岛男性的79.4岁，位居世界第二。

日本女性的平均寿命连续22年名列世界之首，一些研究人员认为，这主要归功于她们健康的饮食和紧密的社会联系。

据日本卫生省官员介绍，癌症、心脏病和中风是老年人健康的三大杀手，这三大疾病治疗手段的进步使人们的预期寿命达到新高。

统计报告显示，台湾女性的平均寿命为84.6岁，位居世界第二；其次是西班牙和瑞士女性，为83.9岁。

据《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》记载，目前世界上寿命最长的人和寿命最长的男性分别是日本114岁的皆川米子和111岁的田锅友时。

但日本预期寿命的不断延长和新生儿数量的不足引起了有关这个世界上老龄化最严重的国家将如何解决其养老金问题的担忧。

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