A new report released Wednesday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveals encouraging figures about the healthcare situation in Israel. Israeli life expectancy is among the highest in the world, and fifth among OECD countries, infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world, and a significant improvement has been recorded in the treatment of chronic diseases. And yet, Israel's situation is not so good when it comes to the treatment of asthma and lung diseases. According to the report, most OECD countries recorded a significant rise in life expectancy rates in recent decades thanks to the improvement in living conditions, public health interventions and the improvement in medical care.Israel has one of the world's highest life expectancies, standing at 81.6 years in 2009 -- about two years more than the OECD average of 79.5. Japan had the highest life expectancy in 2009 -- 83 years. The difference between male and female life expectancy in Israel in 2009 stood at 3.8 years in favor of women. Men live 79.7 years on average; women live 83.5 years. This difference is relatively low compared to the OECD average, which stood at 5.5 years in favor of women.
