London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

The advance of Korea’s longevity

According to a study by Imperial College London and the World Health Organisation, “average life expectancy is set to increase in many countries by 2030 – and will exceed 90 years in South Korea.”

Life Expectancy in 2030
Source: BBC

The press release accompanying the report revealed:

  • The five countries with the highest life expectancy at birth for men in 2030 were: South Korea (84.1), Australia (84.0), Switzerland (84.0), Canada (83.9), Netherlands (83.7)
  • The five countries with the highest life expectancy at birth for women in 2030 were: South Korea (90.8), France (88.6), Japan (88.4), Spain (88.1), Switzerland (87.7)

“South Korea’s high life expectancy may be due to a number of factors including good nutrition in childhood, low blood pressure, low levels of smoking, good access to healthcare, and uptake of new medical knowledge and technologies.”

The BBC also reported the story on its website and on the Radio 4 news:

“South Korea has gotten a lot of things right,” Prof Majid Ezzati told the BBC News website.

“They seem to have been a more equal place and things that have benefited people – education, nutrition – have benefited most people.

“And so far, they are better at dealing with hypertension and have some of the lowest obesity rates in the world.”

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