Irish women live five years longer than males while the longevity of both sexes is improving sharply, according to the latest figures relaeased by the Central Statistics Office.
A girl born in 2002 can expect to live to the ripe old age of 80.3 years of age while a boy born in the same year can look forward to 75.1 years.
The figures show dramatic improvements have been made in life expectancy in the 20th century and these improvements are accelerating as medical science makes more breakthroughs.
In 1926 an Irish baby boy was expected only to live 57.4 years. Baby girls were slightly better at 57.9 years. Since then Irish male infant life expectancy has improved by 18 years or 31 per cent, while Irish female infant life expectancy has improved by 22 years or 39 per cent.
Between 1996 and 2002 life expectancy improved by 2.1 years for males and 1.8 years for females.
The improvement in life expectancy is a direct result of fall death rates over the last 75 years, particularly infant mortality. Much of this occurred between 1946 and 196.
Life expectancy of males aged 65 improved by 2.6 years or 20 percent over the last 75 years, while Irish females improved by 5 years or 40 per cent, double that of males.
The most dramatic increase in life expectancy for both sexes occurred over the last 6 years at age 65. Male life expectancy increased by 1.5 years (11 per cent). This improvement is more than what was experienced over the previous 70 years. Female life expectancy increased by 1.3 years (7 per cent) over the same six years.
However Irish life expectancy at birth and at age 65 is still below the EU15 average for both sexes. The highest European life expectancy at birth in males is reported in Sweden at 77.7 years and for females, Spain at 83.1 years. The highest European life expectancy at age 65 is reported in Sweden for both males and females.
In 2002 Irish male infant life expectancy ranks joint 8th with Belgium out of the countries reported in the EU15 and is below Malta. Similarly the life expectancy of Irish baby girls ranks second last out of those reported in the EU15 and is below both Malta and Slovenia.
Ireland is joint bottom with Denmark of the EU15 league table but higher than the new Members States for 65 year old males. For females Ireland ranks second from the bottom in the EU15 league table at this age and also below Malta and Slovenia.