Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) The average life expectancy for a newborn in Taiwan climbed to a new high of 81.32 years in 2020, according to the latest statistics issued by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on Friday.
Average life expectancy in Taiwan has steadily risen for decades, including in the past 10 years, when it rose from 79.18 years in 2010 to 81.32 years in 2020.
The ministry attributed the rise to Taiwan's advanced medical system, better quality of life, and a growing interest in food safety and exercise.
The average life expectancy at birth for men and women in 2020 was estimated at 78.11 years and 84.75 years, respectively, up 0.42 years and 0.52 years from the previous year.
The ministry observed that people living in eastern Taiwan have shorter life spans compared to those residing in western Taiwan, but did not offer any explanation of why that is.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in Taiwan dropped by 2,384 from the previous year to 173,162 in 2020, which translated into a crude death rate of 7.35 per 1,000 of the population, the data showed.
The ministry said that the rise in the average life expectancy and the decline in the mortality rate in Taiwan indicated that the country was relatively unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020.
