How much has life expectancy in Thailand at birth increased in 2019?
Life expectancy in Thailand at birth, for both men and women, has been increasing almost every year for the last 30 years.
So much so that, while only three decades ago the average life expectancy at birth for men and women was between 50 and 60 years of age, with Thai women generally living longer than men, in 2019 it is much higher.
The latest figures from the World Health Organization currently have Thais born in 2018/2019 with an overall life expectancy of 75.5 years. That has increased by more than 20 years for many individuals in Thailand since 1988.
Latest figures also show an increase of an average annual rate of 0.26 percent over the last few years.
That means in 2015, the life expectancy in Thailand at birth was 75.1 years. Just four years later, and it is 75.5 years.
Life expectancy in Thailand at birth for men versus women?
Just like in most other countries, Thai women live longer than men. The longevity difference is also a substantial number of years.
In fact, for a Thai mail child born in 2018/2019, his average life expectancy is 71.8 years.
For a Thai female child, however, hers is 79.3 years of age. Giving her an estimated 7 1/2 more years of life than many Thai men.
These figures put Thailand in the 69th spot for life expectancy. When you compare that with a so-called ‘first world’ country like the United States, which is in the 34th position, that is actually not bad.
You can also expect these figures to increase as time goes on as current figures are based on current health, scientific and social factors.
As these things improve even more, however, they will impact the life expectancy in Thailand not only at birth, but in general.
What are the main causes of death for men and women in Thailand?
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Thailand, with 19 percent of deaths attributed to that. Death due to ischemic heart disease is also high at 12 percent, as are strokes at 10 percent.
Other leading causes of death in Thailand include respiratory infections at nine percent, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at four percent, and HIV/AIDS, diabetes and road injuries also all at four percent.
Chronic kidney disease and cirrhosis round out the top 10, each at two percent.
Read: Thailand’s smoking ban on 24 beaches now in effect — more to follow
General health education and access to medical care in Thailand has improved at such a high rate in recent years, however, some of these figures are expected to fall in coming years.
In particular, with cancers related to smoking, and breast and cervical cancer.
Deaths due to pulmonary disease may also be partially attributed to toxic levels of pollution in some Thai cities, including Bangkok.
This is of particular concern among populations like motorcycle taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, construction workers and street food sellers. People who are outside in the open air all day. Often next to busy streets, and forced to breathe in the polluted air far longer than those that work indoors in offices and shopping malls.
Related: How much do Thais pay for healthcare, or is healthcare free in Thailand?
