Himachal and Punjab surpass national life expectancy average, Haryana lags behind: Report
Kerala continues to top the national list with the highest life expectancy at 74.8 years, while Chhattisgarh remains at the bottom with 64.4 years. Other high-performing states and Union Territories include Delhi (74.6 years), Jammu and Kashmir (74.1 years), and Himachal Pradesh.
Punjab has outperformed several larger states such as Uttar Pradesh (67.2 years) and Madhya Pradesh (67.4 years), and is at par with Uttarakhand (70.8 years). Tamil Nadu (73.0 years), Maharashtra (72.5 years), and West Bengal (72.1 years) are among those with higher figures than Punjab.
The report notes that women in Punjab have an average life expectancy of 73.1 years, while for men it stands at 68.9 years. This results in a female-to-male life expectancy ratio of 1.06, a significant shift from 1970–75 when men outlived women.
Urban areas continue to show a clear advantage, with a life expectancy of 73.3 years (75.1 for females and 71.9 for males), compared to 69.2 years in rural areas (71.8 for females and 66.9 for males). This urban-rural gap, however, has narrowed considerably since the 1970–75 period.
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