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Health Status > Health Behaviors
Life Expectancy
A baby girl born in the United States in 2003
could expect to live 80.1 years, 5.3 years longer than her male
counterpart, whose life expectancy was 74.8 years. The life expectancy
at birth for White females was 80.5 years; for Black females, the
life expectancy at birth was 76.1 years. The differential between
male and female life expectancy was greater among Blacks than Whites;
Black males could expect to live 69.0 years, 7.1 years less than
Black females, while the difference between White males and females
was 5.2 years. The higher infant mortality rate among Blacks may
partly account for their relatively lower life expectancy.
Life expectancy has steadily increased since 1970
for males and females in both racial groups. Between 1970 and 2003,
White males’ life expectancy increased from 68.0 to 75.3 years (10.7
percent), while White females’ life expectancy increased from 75.6
to 80.5 years (6.5 percent). Black males’ life expectancy increased
from 60.0 to 69.0 years (15.0 percent) during the same period, while
Black females’ life expectancy has increased from 68.3 to 76.1 years
(11.4 percent).
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Line Chart: Life Expectancy at Birth, by Race and Sex, 1970-2003
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