This is 5 years longer than in 1980.

 

　　More people are also living past the age of 65, and maternal mortality dropped by 50 percent between 1990 and 2010.

 

　　However, big inequalities also exist in the average life expectancy among different countries.

 

　　Dr. Rita Sadana is the chief editor of the report.

 

　　"These improvements and the conditions that fostered them have not been equally shared across and within the 53 countries. There are substantial differences that persist, and in many instances are increasing. We believe inequalities really have become a hallmark of European health statistics."

 

　　The gap between the best and worst countries for the life expectancy of men is 17 years. For women, it is 12.

 

　　Countries with the widest man-woman life expectancy disparity are mainly in Eastern Europe.

 

　　When it comes to the causes of death, heart disease and stroke account for nearly half of all deaths, with higher rates among men than women.

 

　　But Doctor Rita Sadana notes cancer is becoming a main killer.

 

　　"Cancer has replaced cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of premature deaths, that's deaths before the age of 65, in 28 of the 53 countries."

 

　　And Dr. Claudia Stein, the Director of WHO Europe's information, evidence, research and innovation division adds the scenarios differ from country to country.

 

　　"We've seen in the western part of the region and Central Europe, cardiovascular diseases mortality has fallen while cancer mortality rates have remained fairly stable. In the east part of the region, they have not been so fortunate. Their cardiovascular disease rates have actually risen, while cancer rates have remained stable. We can say that we haven't made progress in cancer. That's for sure. While in the western parts, they've made progress in other diseases."

 

　　The leading health risk factors for Europeans today include tobacco and alcohol abuse.

 

　　27 percent of Europeans over the age of 15 smoke.

 

　　This is higher than in any other part of the world.

 

　　Europeans also consume an average of 10.6 liters of alcohol a year, more than in any other region in the world.

 

　　For CRI, this is Tu Yun in London.