Boys had a shorter life expectancy than girls. Boys were expected to live an average of 78.5 years, up 0.6 year from 2012, according to the report released by Statistics Korea. The comparable figure stood at 85.1 years for girls, up 0.4 year from a year earlier.
Men's life expectancy rose by 4.7 years during the 2003-2013 period. while women were expected to live 4.2 years more than 10 years earlier.
The difference in life expectancy between men and women was 6.5 years in 2013, the smallest since 1970 when the authorities began compiling related data. It has continued to narrow since reaching a peak of 8.4 years in 1985.
"The difference in life expectancy has become smaller and smaller as unlike in the past, men are undergoing healthcare programs," Yoon Yeon-ok, chief of the statistical office's population division.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
