The decline for men has been particularly strong since 1985. Figure 1.4 shows the relationship between declining rates of CVD morality and gains in life expectancy. The horizontal axis represents the reduction in CVD mortality (in percentage terms) achieved by OECD countries between 1985 and 2011. For example, in the Netherlands the CVD mortality rate fell from 501 per 100 000 population in 1985 to 217 in 2011, representing a 57% fall. Countries such as Israel and Australia have been able to reduce CVD-related mortality by more than 65% over this period, whereas other countries such as Greece, the Slovak Republic and Mexico have reduced their rates by 40% or less.