New Zealand's life expectancy at birth has increased by 0.2 years for both males and females since 2006-08, Statistics New Zealand said today.

A baby girl can expect to live, on average, 82.4 years and a baby boy 78.4 years, based on mortality rates experienced in 2007-09.

The latest life expectancy figures are included in the abridged period life table for 2007-09.

"Life expectancy for women is still higher than it is for men, but the gap has narrowed from more than six years in 1975-77 to four years in 2007-09," Population Statistics manager Denise McGregor said.

"Since 1975-77, life expectancy at birth has increased by 6.9 years for females and 9.4 years for males," Mrs McGregor said.

Abridged life tables are produced annually using deaths registered over a three-year period.

They provide a range of mortality measures, including life expectancy, for age groups at the national level.

Statistics from birth and death registrations released today indicate that:

• in the first decade of the new millennium there were more than half a million (588,500) live births in New Zealand

• there were 62,540 live births registered in New Zealand in the December 2009 year, down from 64,340 in 2008

• the birth rate was 2.1 births per woman in 2009, down from 2.2 in 2008

• deaths registered in 2009 totalled 28,960, down slightly from 29,190 in 2008.

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