Some parts of Ukraine now have a life expectancy of around 72 years, about five years more than what they could have hoped for during the mid-1990s, when the nation's health hit a low point.
People live
longer in Kyiv and the mostly rural western regions of Ukraine, where live expectancy
varies from 71 to 72 years. In the country’s industrial east and south average life expectancy is only around 68 years.
Back in 1990-1991 Ukrainians had a life expectancy of 69.8 years on average, the web-site of Tyzhden
magazine reported, based on data received from the State Statistics Service.
The first
years of independence were particularly hard and further reducing life
expectancy. In 1995-1996 Ukrainians could hope to live, on average, less than 67 years.
In
1996-2007 life expectancy rose to 68 years, and increased by an entire year just in 2008. In 2011 Ukrainians started to live over 71 years, according to official data.
Women in
Ukraine live about 76 years on, which is 10 years more than men.
The demographers explain this phenomenon by
hard work and an unhealthy lifestyle, which includes alcohol abuse and smoking tobacco, two widespread pastimes among Ukrainian men.
