The gap in life expectancy between Irish men and women has widened, with women now living five-and-a-half years longer than men, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.
A baby girl born in 1996, when the latest figures were collected, can expect to live until she is 78-1/2. However, a baby boy born in the same year will be lucky to make it to his 73rd birthday.
The news coincides with a new study from the National Council on Ageing and Older People, which found that Irish workers are increasingly likely to retire from the labour force well before the age of 65.
Life expectancy rates have certainly improved since the Central Statistics Office figures were first collected in 1926. The gap between the sexes was much slighter then, with life expectancy at 57.4 years for men and 57.9 for women.
Over the last 70 years, the life expectancy of male infants has improved by 16 years, while for female infants the increase has been greater at 21 years.
Meanwhile, life expectancy for 65-year-old males has increased by 8 per cent, or one year, while for women it has gone up by a significantly higher 30 per cent, or four years.
The increasing gap reflects an international trend, according to the statistics released yesterday.
