21 Apr 2020 17:00

Life expectancy in Russia reached all-time high of 73.4 years in 2019 - Russian Health Ministry

MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax) - Life expectancy in Russia reached 73.4 years in 2019, the Russian Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Life expectancy in Russia reached the all-time high of 73.4 years in 2019," the statement said.

The increase in life expectancy "has largely resulted from lower mortality rates in the able-bodied population; the mortality rate decreased 3.5 % for men and 2.1 % for women," it said.

As a result, Russia was able to save the lives of 13,600 able-bodied citizens in 2019, the statement said.

Former Russian health minister Veronika Skvortsova said in October 2019 that life expectancy had reached 73.6 years in the first eight months of the year.