February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Life expectancy at birth for male babies born here in 2002 was 75.1 years, compared to 80.3 for females.
In 1926, when the CSO analyses began, men had a life expectancy of 57.4 years, while women could expect to live just 0.5 years longer to 57.9 years. The gap widened significantly in the 60 years to 1986, when it stood at 5.7 years.
Since then, it has begun to narrow again, although statisticians are not sure why.
The figures show a dramatic improvement in life expectancy in the past four decades.
Males born in 1960 could expect to live to an average of just 68.1 years; females born in the same year could then expect to live to 71.9 years.
The CSO said the improvement in life expectancy is a direct result of decreasing mortality over the past 75 years, particularly infant mortality.
It added that the most dramatic increase in life expectancy for both sexes occurred over the last six years with male longevity up 1.5 years (11 percent) for those aged 65 and female longevity up 1.3 years (7 percent).
However, the bad news is that Irish life expectancy at birth and at age 65 is still below the average for both sexes in the 15-nation, pre-enlargement European Union.
The highest European life expectancy at birth for males is 77.7 years in Sweden and for females 83.1 years in Spain.
The highest European life expectancy at age 65 is reported in Sweden for both males and females.