South Korea and Japan continue to take top spots in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) annual rankings of average life expectancy. Japan leads the list with an average life expectancy of 83.4 years while South Korea has the 12th best rate for 2013 with 81.8 years. According to a recent new report from The Korea Herald, South Korea’s average life expectancy increased to 82.4 years for babies born in 2014. Non-OECD Asian countries with notably high life expectancies are Hong Kong (84) and Singapore (82). In other Asian countries like China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, life expectancies are below the OECD average of 80.1 years. But even in these markets, life expectancies will increase as healthcare expenditures in Asia rise dramatically. Thus, the need for devices and drugs for Asian elderly care will only increase.
