Life Expectancy In U.S. Reaches All-Time High

According to a recent government report, life expectancy in the United States has climbed to an all-time high of nearly 77 years, and as a result, Blacks too are living longer and being born healthier.

However, Blacks' life expectancy still trails that of Whites. Among Blacks, life expectancy was put at 71.8 years last year, compared with 77.4 among Whites. Both races had higher life expectancies than they did in 1999, with Blacks narrowing the gap by about four months.

The U.S. infant mortality rate for Blacks also has dropped to the lowest level on record. It is still higher than that of many other developed countries, however, the continued drop is largely due to the significant decline in mortality for Black infants in this country.

Ari Minio, an NCHS statistician and author of the study, says that the drop may be attributed to the booming 1990s economy, which expanded availability of quality health care.

A government study of death certificates nationwide put U.S. life expectancy at 76.9 years for someone born in 2000, up from 76.7 in 1999, the National Center for Health Statistics said in the released study. Infant mortality dropped last year to 6.9 for every 1,000 live births, down from 7.1.

The gender gap for life expectancy also narrowed, but women continue to live considerably longer than men -79.5 years versus 74.1.