The average life expectancy of Japanese men in 2000 stood at 77.72 years, while that of women stood at 84.6 years, according to a report released Friday by the government.

The expected life span of women increased 1.75 years from the previous survey conducted in 1995, while that of men rose by 1.34 years.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry bases its life expectancy statistics on the national census, which is conducted every five years.