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Until World War
II the average life expectancy in Latvia were comparable to, or even slightly better than,
the average figures for Europe. Even at the end of the 1950s, male life expectancy in the
Baltic states remained higher than in Eastern and Southern Europe on the whole. For
females it was higher than average level in Europe. However, during the following decades,
this position was lost. Only from 1990 till 1995 life expectancy decreased by four years
for males and for females. More than 80% of the total life expectancy decrease was due to
mortality increase in working ages. Diseases of circulatory system contributed in that
decrease by almost 50 per cent, but accidents, poisonings and injuries - by 36 per cent
for males and 29 per cent for females. Currently, the average life expectancy at birth in
Latvia is one of the lowest in Europe. However, the average life expectancy increased in
the last years. |