CSO: life expectancy up 20 years over 80-year period

IN THE space of 80 years, the life expectancy of men and women in this country increased by more than 20 years.

According to figures from the CSO, the average life expectancy at birth in 1925 was 57.4 years for men and 57.9 for women. The figures in 2005 were 77.1 and 81.8 respectively.

The life expectancy in this country is on a par with the European average, which is 75.8 for men and 81.9 for women.