INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
Life expectancy
Australians have a life expectancy at birth which compares well with that experienced in other developed nations. According to the United Nations World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision (2011), global life expectancy at birth for 2005-2010 (medium variant) is estimated to be 65.7 years for males and 70.1 years for females. ABS life tables for 2008-2010 indicate that life expectancy at birth for Australian males (79.5 years) and females (84.0 years) continue to be among the highest in the world.
According to United Nations estimates for 2005-2010, life expectancy at birth of Australian males is exceeded only by Iceland, Japan and Switzerland. Life expectancy at birth of Australian females is exceeded by Japan, Hong Kong (SAR of China), France, Switzerland and Italy.
Combined Australian male and female life expectancy at birth for 2005-2010 was 81.4 years. This was higher than the combined life expectancy in Canada (80.5 years), New Zealand (80.1 years), the United Kingdom (79.6 years) and the United States of America (78.0 years).
2.14 LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, Selected countries
Infant mortality rate
In
World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision (2011), the United Nations estimates the global infant mortality rate for 2005-2010 to be 45.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The United Nations estimate of Australia's IMR (4.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births) is among the lowest in the world. It is lower than that of the United Kingdom (4.9), New Zealand (5.1), Canada (5.2) and the United States of America (6.8). Singapore (1.9), Hong Kong (SAR of China) (2.0) and Iceland (2.1) were among the lowest IMR, while Afghanistan (136.0) and Chad (131.2) were among the highest.
On a regional basis, Northern America has the lowest IMR, with 6.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, followed by Europe (6.9). The world's regions recording the highest IMRs are Africa (78.6), Asia (40.7), Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania, which includes Australia (both 21.7).
Quality Declaration 
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