The average life expectancy of a Korean baby born in 2015 is over 82 years.

 

The average life expectancy of South Korea born in 2015 is over 82 years, according to government data.

 

According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), babies born last year are expected to survive by Jan. 2082, which is expected to rise by 0.3 years (about 4 months) compared to babies born in 2014. The average life expectancy of a girl is 85 years, and that of a boy is 79 years.

 

The gap between the life expectancy at birth of baby boys and girls narrowed by 0.2 year to 6.2 years in 2015 from a year ago. The gender gap has steadily closed since 1986 when it reached 8.6 years. Officials note that men now live longer than before thanks to a fall in the liver-disease related death rate in line with a decline in binge drinking.

 

The latest government report also showed that both men and women in general would live longer than before. A 40-year-old man is expected to live until he reaches 80.1 years old while a 40-year-old woman until 86 years old. A 60-year-old man are likely to live 22.2 years more from now while a 60-year-old woman 27 years more. Korean men aged 65 years or more are expected to live 18.2 years more on average from now, exceeding the average of 17.9 years of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries for the first time.

 

The baby boys born last year would live 5.1 years longer than their life expectancy at birth if they do not suffer from cancer. The baby girls would live 2.9 years longer. As for Koreans aged 65 years or more, men would live 4.3 years longer and women 2.1 years longer without cancer.