SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- The life expectancy of an average North Korean stands at 68.9, placing it 149th among 222 countries checked, a U.S. media report said Saturday.

   According to Voice of America (VOA), which cited the latest findings by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the typical North Korean male born this year can expect to live 65 years, while the average female is expected to live 72.9 years.

   The numbers are an estimation of how long babies who are born this year will live.

   The VOA said that the original data did not elaborate on why there was a jump in the life expectancy of over four years. Last year, the CIA claimed North Korea's life expectancy stood at 64.13 years.

   The latest findings, meanwhile, said that as of July, there were over 24.45 million people in North Korea, with the U.S. Census Bureau predicting the population may grow by around 10 percent to 26.86 million by 2050.

   yonngong@yna.co.kr
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