According to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) this week, Israeli men now have the fourth longest life expectancy in the world.
World Health Statistics 2014 puts the life expectancy at birth of Israel’s men at 80.2, behind only Iceland (81.2), Switzerland (80.7), and Australia (80.5). Singapore, New Zealand, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and Luxembourg round out the list of leading countries.
Israeli women did not crack the top ten, but in 2012, their life expectancy at birth was 84 years, which today put them in a tie with Portugal, the country with the 10th-highest life expectancy for women.
Overall, longevity is increasing globally. Children born in 2012 have a life expectancy six years longer than children born in 1990 as treatment for many serious diseases has improved.
A report a few weeks ago by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranked Israel as having the eighth highest life expectancy among the 36 most developed nations. Surprisingly, the OECD found that Israel achieved better than average longevity despite lower than average health spending as “total health spending accounts for 7.7% of GDP in Israel, less than the average of 9.4% in OECD countries.”
[Photo: Joint Distribution Committee / YouTube ]