TOKYO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The life expectancy of both Japanese women and men rose in 2018, taking the second and third places, respectively, on a worldwide ranking, Japanese government statistics revealed Tuesday.

The average life expectancy of women in Japan in 2018 was 87.32, up 0.05 from 2017, while that of men stood at 81.25, up 0.16 compared to 2017, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

China's Hong Kong stood at the first place on the ranking for both men and women at 82.17 and 87.56, respectively.

Switzerland ranked second for men at 81.4, while Spain took the third place for women at 85.73.

Life expectancy has grown longer with drops in mortality rates for cerebral vascular disease and pneumonia among Japanese women and the rate of cancer among men, according to the health ministry.