Average Indian’s life
expectancy up 4.6 years
Oct 2, 2012, 01.58AM IST TNN [ Kounteya Sinha ]
NEW DELHI: An
average Indian lived
4.6 years longer in
2008 compared to a
decade earlier. An
average Indian woman lived three
years more than her
male counterpart in
2008.
While the life
expectancy at birth
for women was 67.7 years, for men it stood at
64.6 years. This was an increase
of 2.5 years and 1.8 years,
respectively, when compared to
the life expectancy (LE) in 2002.
According to the latest life
expectancy data — to be
released by the Registrar
General of India this week after
a gap of almost five years — the
LE of a rural Indian increased by 2.2 years between 2002 and
2008. However, the LE of an
urban Indian was up by just 1.2
years over the same period.
Interestingly, an urban female
lived 4.9 years longer than a
rural female and 7.9 years
longer than a rural male.
A woman living in rural Kerala
had the highest LE at birth
across all categories at 77.2
years. In contrast, LE at birth
was lowest at below 60 years
for a rural male in Madhya Pradesh. Rural males also lived
longest in Kerala at 71.2 years,
which was 7.7 years longer than
the average rural Indian male.
Kerala's rural female LE of 77.2
years was also 10.7 years more
than the average rural female LE
in the country.
Interestingly, women seem to
have a longer life span than
their male counterparts in most
of the major states.
In West Bengal and Rajasthan,
for example, women lived 3.6
years longer than their male
counterparts in 2008.
In Tamil Nadu, women lived 3.8
years longer, while in Punjab it
was 4.2 years, Maharashtra (4
years), Haryana (2.5 years),
Gujarat (4.1 years), Himachal
Pradesh (4.7 years), Karnataka (4.8 years) and Kerala (5.4
years).
When it comes to urban males,
Himachal Pradesh took the top
spot with an average man living
till 72.6 years at 4.6 years longer
than an average urban Indian
male.
An urban female was living
longest in Kerala - 76.4 years,
which was five years longer
than an average urban Indian
female. Deputy registrar general
Bhaskar Mishra said, "LE of an
average Indian is improving by
the year. What is most
interesting is the widening gap
between LE of an Indian male and a female which is a trend
similar to developed countries.
This may be because of the
rapid bridging of the gap in
child mortality between males
and females. The previous data on LE came out in 2007." So what are the main reasons
for Indians living longer now
than a decade ago?
Experts say that the three big
reasons for LE to have increased
are better food supply and
nutrition, healthier lifestyle and
better hygiene.
"More people are interested in
the nutritional content of the
food they eat and plan their diet
accordingly. People are
consciously making better
lifestyle choices that reduce chances or delay the risk of
developing diseases. People
wash their hands more often
that reduces infection rate," a
health ministry official said. In terms of the highest increase
of LE between 2002 and 2008,
the top five states were Assam
and MP (3.1 years), J&K (2.8
years), Odisha (2.6 years),
Maharashtra and Rajasthan (2.4 years). The lowest increase in LE
in the same period was in
Himachal (0.5 years) and
Haryana (0.9 years). Between
2000 and 2004, the overall life
expectancy of an average Indian stood at 63.9 years. Between
2006 and 2010, it increased to
66.1 years. In men, it increased
from 62.8 years in 2000-04 to
64.6 years in 2006-10. Among
women, it increased from 65.2 years to 67.7 years during the
same period. In rural India, it
increased from 62.7 years to
64.9 years (up by 2.2 years).
However in urban India, it
increased from 68.4 years to 69.6 years during the same
period. Between 2006 and 2010, men
were living the longest in Kerala
(71.5), Jammu & Kashmir (69.2),
Maharashtra (67.9), Himachal
Pradesh (67.7), Punjab and West
Bengal (67.4) and Tamil Nadu (67.1). LE among males was
lowest in Assam (61). When it came to females, Kerala
once again took the top spot
with the average LE between
2006 and 2010 at 76.9 years,
followed by Himachal Pradesh
(72.4), Maharashtra (71.9), Punjab (71.6) and J&K (71.1).
Assam was once again at the
bottom of the ladder with an
average woman expected to
live till just 63.2 years. According to the World Health
Organization's health statistics
2011, the global average life
expectancy at birth stood at 68
years in 2009 — an increase by
two years since 2000. WHO said since 1990, LE has increased
globally by 4 years (both sexes).
However, during the 1990s, it
stagnated in Europe and
decreased in Africa.
m.timesofindia.com/india/Average-Indians-life-expectancy-up-4-6-years/articleshow/16633612.cms
expectancy up 4.6 years
Oct 2, 2012, 01.58AM IST TNN [ Kounteya Sinha ]
NEW DELHI: An
average Indian lived
4.6 years longer in
2008 compared to a
decade earlier. An
average Indian woman lived three
years more than her
male counterpart in
2008.
While the life
expectancy at birth
for women was 67.7 years, for men it stood at
64.6 years. This was an increase
of 2.5 years and 1.8 years,
respectively, when compared to
the life expectancy (LE) in 2002.
According to the latest life
expectancy data — to be
released by the Registrar
General of India this week after
a gap of almost five years — the
LE of a rural Indian increased by 2.2 years between 2002 and
2008. However, the LE of an
urban Indian was up by just 1.2
years over the same period.
Interestingly, an urban female
lived 4.9 years longer than a
rural female and 7.9 years
longer than a rural male.
A woman living in rural Kerala
had the highest LE at birth
across all categories at 77.2
years. In contrast, LE at birth
was lowest at below 60 years
for a rural male in Madhya Pradesh. Rural males also lived
longest in Kerala at 71.2 years,
which was 7.7 years longer than
the average rural Indian male.
Kerala's rural female LE of 77.2
years was also 10.7 years more
than the average rural female LE
in the country.
Interestingly, women seem to
have a longer life span than
their male counterparts in most
of the major states.
In West Bengal and Rajasthan,
for example, women lived 3.6
years longer than their male
counterparts in 2008.
In Tamil Nadu, women lived 3.8
years longer, while in Punjab it
was 4.2 years, Maharashtra (4
years), Haryana (2.5 years),
Gujarat (4.1 years), Himachal
Pradesh (4.7 years), Karnataka (4.8 years) and Kerala (5.4
years).
When it comes to urban males,
Himachal Pradesh took the top
spot with an average man living
till 72.6 years at 4.6 years longer
than an average urban Indian
male.
An urban female was living
longest in Kerala - 76.4 years,
which was five years longer
than an average urban Indian
female. Deputy registrar general
Bhaskar Mishra said, "LE of an
average Indian is improving by
the year. What is most
interesting is the widening gap
between LE of an Indian male and a female which is a trend
similar to developed countries.
This may be because of the
rapid bridging of the gap in
child mortality between males
and females. The previous data on LE came out in 2007." So what are the main reasons
for Indians living longer now
than a decade ago?
Experts say that the three big
reasons for LE to have increased
are better food supply and
nutrition, healthier lifestyle and
better hygiene.
"More people are interested in
the nutritional content of the
food they eat and plan their diet
accordingly. People are
consciously making better
lifestyle choices that reduce chances or delay the risk of
developing diseases. People
wash their hands more often
that reduces infection rate," a
health ministry official said. In terms of the highest increase
of LE between 2002 and 2008,
the top five states were Assam
and MP (3.1 years), J&K (2.8
years), Odisha (2.6 years),
Maharashtra and Rajasthan (2.4 years). The lowest increase in LE
in the same period was in
Himachal (0.5 years) and
Haryana (0.9 years). Between
2000 and 2004, the overall life
expectancy of an average Indian stood at 63.9 years. Between
2006 and 2010, it increased to
66.1 years. In men, it increased
from 62.8 years in 2000-04 to
64.6 years in 2006-10. Among
women, it increased from 65.2 years to 67.7 years during the
same period. In rural India, it
increased from 62.7 years to
64.9 years (up by 2.2 years).
However in urban India, it
increased from 68.4 years to 69.6 years during the same
period. Between 2006 and 2010, men
were living the longest in Kerala
(71.5), Jammu & Kashmir (69.2),
Maharashtra (67.9), Himachal
Pradesh (67.7), Punjab and West
Bengal (67.4) and Tamil Nadu (67.1). LE among males was
lowest in Assam (61). When it came to females, Kerala
once again took the top spot
with the average LE between
2006 and 2010 at 76.9 years,
followed by Himachal Pradesh
(72.4), Maharashtra (71.9), Punjab (71.6) and J&K (71.1).
Assam was once again at the
bottom of the ladder with an
average woman expected to
live till just 63.2 years. According to the World Health
Organization's health statistics
2011, the global average life
expectancy at birth stood at 68
years in 2009 — an increase by
two years since 2000. WHO said since 1990, LE has increased
globally by 4 years (both sexes).
However, during the 1990s, it
stagnated in Europe and
decreased in Africa.
m.timesofindia.com/india/Average-Indians-life-expectancy-up-4-6-years/articleshow/16633612.cms
