.Japanese women were the world's longest-living people in 2006 for the 22nd consecutive year as their average lifespan extended to a record 85.81 years, government data showed Thursday.
Their longevity increased by 160 days from 2005 "as there was an improvement in what are considered the three major causes of deaths among the Japanese - cancer, heart disease and strokes," a health ministry official said.
Japanese women are believed to be longest-living people in the world, according to data divided by gender. Hong Kong women came second at 84.6 years, according to figures by individual governments and the United Nations. Swiss and Spanish women were tied for third at 83.9 years.