Health and Aging

Generally speaking, white women enjoy a relatively large life expectancy at birth, almost 81 years. Life expectancy for white men and black women is slightly lower at about 76 years. Black men have a life expectancy of just under 70 years. Race and gender gaps in life expectancy at birth are decreasing over time.

Sources: Kung HC, Hoyert DL, Xu JQ, Murphy SL. Deaths: Final data for 2005. National vital statistics reports; vol 56 no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.