TAIPEI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The average life expectancy in Taiwan has increased to 80.4 years in 2017 as against 80.4 years in 2007, according to statistics released Friday by the island's civil affairs authority.

The authority cited better medical services, food safety awareness, better quality of life and the popularity of fitness as reasons for the increase in average lifespans over the decade.

The survey shows that the lifespan of Taiwanese men in 2017 averaged 77.3 years while that of women reached 83.7 years, both a record high.

Among the six major cities in Taiwan, the life expectancy of Taipei citizens was the highest, recorded at 83.6 years in 2017.

Residents in the northern part of Taiwan generally had a longer average lifespan than those in the south, while those from the island's west had a longer average life expectancy than their counterparts from the east, according to the survey.

In 2017, life expectancy for both men and women in Taiwan were higher than the respective global averages.