Jammu and Kashmir is the Indian state with the highest post-60 life expectancy. People of J&K above 60 will live for another 21.1 years on an average. Chattisgarh ranks the lowest where the relevant life span is 15.6 years. On an average an Indian man will live another 17 years after 60 while for a woman, another 19 years are on the cards.

The statistics pertaining to different states comes out in a study conducted by the Sample Registration System(SRS) under the census office. The most recent data is from the 2010 to 2014 period. The study took into account data collected from about 7.4 million people in the country.

Whereas in 1970-75 the average lifespan in India was 49.7 years, by 2010-2014, it rose to 67.9 years. Another change of interest is that women now live longer than men. Four decades back, men lived an average of 50.5 years while for women the average lifespan was 49 years. In the mid-eighties, this trend reversed and presently women’s life expectancy is 69.6 years. This is nearly three years above that of men.

Kerala scores the highest lifespan

As for lifespan, Kerala scores the highest with 74.9 years. Delhi, J & K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab follow. The lowest lifespan was recorded in Assam followed by UP<,MP, Chattisgarh and Odisha.

It was also found that beyond the age of five years, J & K is the state with the highest lifespan for every five-year age group; the only exception is for those above 70 years. As per experts, poverty levels which are better compared to India’s average ( 15% against the national average of about 30%), more equitable land ownership and the temperate climate in the valley which is less conducive for tropical diseases and pollution could be the reasons for the higher lifespan in J&K.

But there exists a difference in J&K’s average life expectancy at birth(72.6 years) and life expect
ancy at 60(81.1 years). This is because of the higher infant mortality rate.

Image credits: thepeoplepost.com

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