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Life expectancy at birth is one of the
indicators of the United Nations
href=/graph/eco_hum_dev_ind&int=-1>human
development index.
In developing countries male and female life
expectancy are very close, due largely to the
risks of childbirth.
However in developed countries, life expectancy
for females is typically higher than that of
males. This discrepancy is due to the followng
factors:
- Young males (15 to 24 years) are four to five
times more likely to die than women of the same
age. In this age group, the major causes of death
are motor vehicle accidents, followed by homicide,
suicide, cancer, and drownings.
- Middle aged men (55 to 64 years) also die more
often than women of the same age. In this age
group the major causes of death are heart disease,
suicide, motor vehicle accidents, and illnesses
related to smoking and alcohol use.
For further comparison of life expectency see
the probability of reaching age 65 (
href=/graph/hea_pro_of_rea_65_mal>male and
href=/graph/hea_pro_of_rea_65_fem&int=-1>female<
/a>). |