In 2021, the average life expectancy of women in Japan was approximately 87.6 years, whereas the life expectancy of men reached around 81.5 years. The average life expectancy of both men and women in Japan indicated a decrease for the first time since 2011.
Aging workforce
Japan has one of the highest proportion of senior citizens worldwide, with almost 30 percent of the country’s population aged 65 years and older. Both growing average life expectancy, as well as declining fertility rates, led to this demographic shift. To secure the nation's workforce despite the aging population, the Japanese government amended the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons in 2021 and requested Japanese enterprises to raise the retirement age to 70 for employees who wish to continue working after turning 60 or 65.
Causes of death
The leading causes of death in Japan are malignant neoplasms, heart diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. Lung cancer is the most mortal cancer site among Japanese men and women, but its mortality risk has declined from the 1990s onward. This development can be partially attributed to the downward trend in tobacco consumption. Since peaking in the 1970s, tobacco consumption in Japan has steadily declined, noticeable from the continuous decrease of the cigarette industry’s annual sales volume growth. Apart from a growing awareness regarding health risks, this downward movement can be explained by a tightening of prefectural no-smoking policies in the streets, many restaurants, and public places in general.
Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021
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World Bank. (December 18, 2023). Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/
World Bank. "Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021." Chart. December 18, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/
World Bank. (2023). Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/
World Bank. "Life Expectancy at Birth in Total and by Gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Dec 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/
World Bank, Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/ (last visited October 31, 2024)
Life expectancy at birth in total and by gender in Japan from 2002 to 2021 [Graph], World Bank, December 18, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/611813/japan-life-expectnancy-total-gender/