Russia Reaches Record Life Expectancy of 73.4 Years

April 21, 2020

Russia has earmarked 1.7 trillion rubles ($22 billion) on healthcare to meet President Vladimir Putin’s goal of raising life expectancy to 78 years by 2024. Mikhail Metzel / TASS

Russians’ average life expectancy reached a historic record of 73.4 years in 2019, the country’s Health Ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying Tuesday.

The increase from 2018, when average life expectancy stood at a little over 73 years, is attributed to a 3.5% decrease in male mortality and a 2.1% decrease in female mortality among working-age Russians.

“Thus, Russia was able to save the lives of an additional 13,600 working-age people,” the Health Ministry’s press service was quoted as saying.

By comparison, life expectancy stands slightly under 79 years in the United States and under 77 years in China. The World Health Organization estimated the global average life expectancy at 72 years in 2016.

Russia has earmarked 1.7 trillion rubles ($22 billion) on healthcare to meet President Vladimir Putin’s goal of raising life expectancy to 78 years by the time his current term ends in 2024.

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