TOKYO - The average life expectancy of Japanese people rose in 2023 for the first time in three years, due to a decline in deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed.

The average life expectancy of women in Japan came to 87.14 years, up 0.05 from 2022, while for men it stood at 81.09, up 0.04, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The average life spans had decreased in 2021 and 2022, due to rising death tolls from the coronavirus.

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The health ministry pointed out that roughly 38,000 people in Japan died from the coronavirus in 2023, around 10,000 less than the previous year.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people who died of old age continued to trend upward in 2023, hitting 19.61 percent for women and 7.93 percent for men, while the proportion of deaths from diseases, including cancer and heart disease, decreased for both genders.

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Japanese average life expectancy peaked in 2020, at 87.71 years for women and 81.56 years for men.