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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Melissa Davey Medical editor

A limit to ageing? Australian life expectancy is rising, but new report asks why few live to 110

Great-grandmother is kissing her great-granddaughter at her 100th birthday.
‘Some experts argue that the maximal life span is unlimited, associated with ongoing gains in life expectancy from social and medical advances,’ the report says. Photograph: praetorianphoto/Getty Images

Despite average life expectancy increasing, the proportion of Australians making it to age 110 has barely shifted since the 1960s, with a new report asking whether there is a limit to how far lifespan can be pushed.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on Tuesday published its How long can Australians live? report, containing the latest life expectancy and longevity data. Over the past five decades, life expectancy in Australia has increased by 13.7 years for males (to 81.3) and by 11.2 years for females (to 85.4).

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