Hongkongers’ already impressive life expectancies rose further in 2024 after falling during the pandemic, with women living on average for a record 88.4 years and men for 82.8 years, census figures show.
But a Census and Statistics Department report also underscored the increasing strain on the city’s public healthcare system, with the number of inpatient and day inpatient discharges and deaths in hospitals increasing by 5.8 per cent in a year.
Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have the longest life expectancies in the world, according to statistics provider Worldometer.
The recently released department report “Women and Men in Hong Kong” said that the life expectancy at birth for women and men in 2024 was 88.4 years and 82.8 years respectively, increasing from 88.1 years and 82.5 years in 2023.
The preliminary figures were significantly better than those in 2022 when exceptionally high mortality rates were reported during the Covid-19 pandemic. That year, the life expectancy for women was 86.8 years and 80.7 years for men.
