TAIPEI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The average life expectancy in Taiwan increased from 77.9 years in 2006 to 80 years in 2016, due to improvements in the medical environment and quality of life, according to statistics released Wednesday by the island's civil affairs agency.
In 2016, life expectancy of Taiwanese men averaged 76.8, while that of women reached 83.4. The average life expectancy of the whole population in Taiwan was down by 0.2 from 2015.
The decrease was mainly caused by an increase in the number of deaths related to severe cold weather in 2016, the agency said.
The lifespan of Taipei citizens reached an average of 83.36 years in 2016, the highest among the six major cities in Taiwan.
Average lifespan in New Taipei was 81.02 years, which was second place among the main six cities. Kaohsiung had the shortest at 78.9 years.
Among other cities and counties, Taitung residents had the shortest average life expectancy at 75.05 years.
The average lifespan for residents in the island's southeastern county of Taitung is about five years lower than the average, probably due to factors such as inadequate access to medical resources and different lifestyles compared with people in western and northern parts of Taiwan.
