S’poreans live longer than counterparts in the tropics: report

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans now live longer than their counterparts in the tropics, according to the findings of a global research project.

The "State of the Tropics" study said Singaporeans can expect to live up to 80.6 years as life expectancy here has increased by 20.4 years between 1950 and 2010. This means that the average Singaporean lives about 16 years longer than their counterparts in other tropical countries.

This is despite the fact that life expectancy in the tropics has increased by 22.8 years to 64.4 between 1950 and 2010.

Women in Singapore can still expect to live longer than men here as the average life expectancy between 2005 and 2010 for females is 82.7, while for males, it is 78.5.

Singapore has also seen significant improvements in infant mortality rates, with only two deaths per 1,000 live births from 2005 to 2010, down from 61 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1950 and 1955.

The "State of the Tropics" study, run by 13 institutions across 12 countries, is part of a world—wide initiative to define the challenges facing people living in the tropics.

These institutions include Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Costa Rica’s Organisation for Tropical Studies, Fiji’s University of the South Pacific and Brazil’s Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amaznia.

—CNA/ac