Life expectancy has reached new highs, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates.

For a male born last year, life expectancy is 80.4 years, compared with 80.3 the previous year.

Female life expectancy is 84.5, up from 84.4 the previous year.

“Babies born today have the highest estimated life expectancy ever recorded in Australia,” ABS Director of Demography Beidar Cho said. “In 2013-15, the male and female combined life expectancy at birth estimate for Australia was 82.4 years.

“This was 11.9 years higher than the world average of 70.5 years in 2010-15.”

Babies born in the ACT last year have the highest life expectancy: 81.2 for males and 85.3 for females.

The NT recorded the nation’s lowest life expectancy: 75.7 for males and 78.5 for females.

“For both men and women, Australia has a higher life expectancy than similar countries such as Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US,” Ms Cho said.