Taber's Medical Dictionary
life expectancy
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The number of years that an average person of a given age may be expected to live. Numerous factors influence life expectancy, including habits, e.g., smoking; chronic illnesses, e.g., heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or cancers; gender (women live longer than men); and socioeconomic status. In the U.S., the average life expectancy at birth is about 78 years. SEE TABLE: Life Expectancy by Sex, Age, and Race: 2008 SEE TABLE: Expectation of Life at Birth, 1970 to 2008, and Projections, 2010 to 2020*; SEE: years of life lost
Life Expectancy by Sex, Age, and Race: 2008
| White | Black | Total | ||||
| Age (years) | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| Birth | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.9 | 77.4 | 75.5 | 80.5 |
| 1 | 75.4 | 80.2 | 71.0 | 77.4 | 75.1 | 80.0 |
| 5 | 71.5 | 76.3 | 67.1 | 73.5 | 71.2 | 76.1 |
| 10 | 66.5 | 71.3 | 62.2 | 68.5 | 66.2 | 71.1 |
| 15 | 61.6 | 66.3 | 57.2 | 63.6 | 61.3 | 66.1 |
| 20 | 56.8 | 61.4 | 52.6 | 58.7 | 56.5 | 61.2 |
| 25 | 52.2 | 56.6 | 48.0 | 53.9 | 51.9 | 56.4 |
| 30 | 47.5 | 51.7 | 43.5 | 49.1 | 47.2 | 51.5 |
| 35 | 42.8 | 46.9 | 39.0 | 44.3 | 42.6 | 46.7 |
| 40 | 38.1 | 42.1 | 34.5 | 39.6 | 37.9 | 41.9 |
| 45 | 33.6 | 37.4 | 30.1 | 35.1 | 33.4 | 37.2 |
| 50 | 29.2 | 32.8 | 26.0 | 30.8 | 29.0 | 32.7 |
| 55 | 25.0 | 28.3 | 22.2 | 26.7 | 24.9 | 28.3 |
| 60 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 18.7 | 22.7 | 20.9 | 24.0 |
| 65 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 15.5 | 18.9 | 17.2 | 19.9 |
| 70 | 13.7 | 16.0 | 12.6 | 15.4 | 13.7 | 16.0 |
| 75 | 10.6 | 12.4 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 12.5 |
| 80 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 7.8 | 9.5 | 7.9 | 9.4 |
| 85 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 6.8 |
| 90 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| 95 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| 100 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
Expectation of Life at Birth, 1970 to 2008, and Projections, 2010 to 2020*
| Total | White | Black | ||||
| Year | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 1970 | 67.1 | 74.7 | 68.0 | 75.6 | 60.0 | 68.3 |
| 1980 | 70.0 | 77.4 | 70.7 | 78.1 | 63.8 | 72.5 |
| 1981 | 70.4 | 77.8 | 71.1 | 78.4 | 64.5 | 73.2 |
| 1982 | 70.8 | 78.1 | 71.5 | 78.7 | 65.1 | 73.6 |
| 1983 | 71.0 | 78.1 | 71.6 | 78.7 | 65.2 | 73.5 |
| 1984 | 71.1 | 78.2 | 71.8 | 78.7 | 65.3 | 73.6 |
| 1985 | 71.1 | 78.2 | 71.8 | 78.7 | 65.0 | 73.4 |
| 1986 | 71.2 | 78.2 | 71.9 | 78.8 | 64.8 | 73.4 |
| 1987 | 71.4 | 78.3 | 72.1 | 78.9 | 64.7 | 73.4 |
| 1988 | 71.4 | 78.3 | 72.2 | 78.9 | 64.4 | 73.2 |
| 1989 | 71.7 | 78.5 | 72.5 | 79.2 | 64.3 | 73.3 |
| 1990 | 71.8 | 78.8 | 72.7 | 79.4 | 64.5 | 73.6 |
| 1991 | 72.0 | 78.9 | 72.9 | 79.6 | 64.6 | 73.8 |
| 1992 | 72.3 | 79.1 | 73.2 | 79.8 | 65.0 | 73.9 |
| 1993 | 72.2 | 78.8 | 73.1 | 79.5 | 64.6 | 73.7 |
| 1994 | 72.4 | 79.0 | 73.3 | 79.6 | 64.9 | 73.9 |
| 1995 | 72.5 | 78.9 | 73.4 | 79.6 | 65.2 | 73.9 |
| 1996 | 73.1 | 79.1 | 73.9 | 79.7 | 66.1 | 74.2 |
| 1997 | 73.6 | 79.4 | 74.3 | 79.9 | 67.2 | 74.7 |
| 1998 | 73.8 | 79.5 | 74.5 | 80.0 | 67.6 | 74.8 |
| 1999 | 73.9 | 79.4 | 74.6 | 79.9 | 67.8 | 74.7 |
| 2000 | 74.1 | 79.3 | 74.7 | 79.9 | 68.2 | 75.1 |
| 2001 | 74.2 | 79.4 | 74.8 | 79.9 | 68.4 | 75.2 |
| 2002 | 74.3 | 79.5 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 68.6 | 75.4 |
| 2003 | 74.5 | 79.6 | 75.0 | 80.0 | 68.8 | 75.6 |
| 2004 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 69.3 | 76.0 |
| 2005 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 69.3 | 76.1 |
| 2006 | 75.1 | 80.2 | 75.7 | 80.6 | 69.7 | 76.5 |
| 2007 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.0 | 76.8 |
| 2008 (preliminary) | 75.5 | 80.5 | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.9 | 77.4 |
| Projections:†: | ||||||
| 2010 | 75.7 | 80.8 | 76.5 | 81.3 | 70.2 | 77.2 |
| 2015 | 76.4 | 81.4 | 77.1 | 81.8 | 71.4 | 78.2 |
| 2020 | 77.1 | 81.9 | 77.7 | 82.4 | 72.6 | 79.2 |
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The number of years that an average person of a given age may be expected to live. Numerous factors influence life expectancy, including habits, e.g., smoking; chronic illnesses, e.g., heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or cancers; gender (women live longer than men); and socioeconomic status. In the U.S., the average life expectancy at birth is about 78 years. SEE TABLE: Life Expectancy by Sex, Age, and Race: 2008 SEE TABLE: Expectation of Life at Birth, 1970 to 2008, and Projections, 2010 to 2020*; SEE: years of life lost
Life Expectancy by Sex, Age, and Race: 2008
| White | Black | Total | ||||
| Age (years) | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| Birth | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.9 | 77.4 | 75.5 | 80.5 |
| 1 | 75.4 | 80.2 | 71.0 | 77.4 | 75.1 | 80.0 |
| 5 | 71.5 | 76.3 | 67.1 | 73.5 | 71.2 | 76.1 |
| 10 | 66.5 | 71.3 | 62.2 | 68.5 | 66.2 | 71.1 |
| 15 | 61.6 | 66.3 | 57.2 | 63.6 | 61.3 | 66.1 |
| 20 | 56.8 | 61.4 | 52.6 | 58.7 | 56.5 | 61.2 |
| 25 | 52.2 | 56.6 | 48.0 | 53.9 | 51.9 | 56.4 |
| 30 | 47.5 | 51.7 | 43.5 | 49.1 | 47.2 | 51.5 |
| 35 | 42.8 | 46.9 | 39.0 | 44.3 | 42.6 | 46.7 |
| 40 | 38.1 | 42.1 | 34.5 | 39.6 | 37.9 | 41.9 |
| 45 | 33.6 | 37.4 | 30.1 | 35.1 | 33.4 | 37.2 |
| 50 | 29.2 | 32.8 | 26.0 | 30.8 | 29.0 | 32.7 |
| 55 | 25.0 | 28.3 | 22.2 | 26.7 | 24.9 | 28.3 |
| 60 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 18.7 | 22.7 | 20.9 | 24.0 |
| 65 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 15.5 | 18.9 | 17.2 | 19.9 |
| 70 | 13.7 | 16.0 | 12.6 | 15.4 | 13.7 | 16.0 |
| 75 | 10.6 | 12.4 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 12.5 |
| 80 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 7.8 | 9.5 | 7.9 | 9.4 |
| 85 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 6.8 |
| 90 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| 95 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| 100 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
Expectation of Life at Birth, 1970 to 2008, and Projections, 2010 to 2020*
| Total | White | Black | ||||
| Year | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 1970 | 67.1 | 74.7 | 68.0 | 75.6 | 60.0 | 68.3 |
| 1980 | 70.0 | 77.4 | 70.7 | 78.1 | 63.8 | 72.5 |
| 1981 | 70.4 | 77.8 | 71.1 | 78.4 | 64.5 | 73.2 |
| 1982 | 70.8 | 78.1 | 71.5 | 78.7 | 65.1 | 73.6 |
| 1983 | 71.0 | 78.1 | 71.6 | 78.7 | 65.2 | 73.5 |
| 1984 | 71.1 | 78.2 | 71.8 | 78.7 | 65.3 | 73.6 |
| 1985 | 71.1 | 78.2 | 71.8 | 78.7 | 65.0 | 73.4 |
| 1986 | 71.2 | 78.2 | 71.9 | 78.8 | 64.8 | 73.4 |
| 1987 | 71.4 | 78.3 | 72.1 | 78.9 | 64.7 | 73.4 |
| 1988 | 71.4 | 78.3 | 72.2 | 78.9 | 64.4 | 73.2 |
| 1989 | 71.7 | 78.5 | 72.5 | 79.2 | 64.3 | 73.3 |
| 1990 | 71.8 | 78.8 | 72.7 | 79.4 | 64.5 | 73.6 |
| 1991 | 72.0 | 78.9 | 72.9 | 79.6 | 64.6 | 73.8 |
| 1992 | 72.3 | 79.1 | 73.2 | 79.8 | 65.0 | 73.9 |
| 1993 | 72.2 | 78.8 | 73.1 | 79.5 | 64.6 | 73.7 |
| 1994 | 72.4 | 79.0 | 73.3 | 79.6 | 64.9 | 73.9 |
| 1995 | 72.5 | 78.9 | 73.4 | 79.6 | 65.2 | 73.9 |
| 1996 | 73.1 | 79.1 | 73.9 | 79.7 | 66.1 | 74.2 |
| 1997 | 73.6 | 79.4 | 74.3 | 79.9 | 67.2 | 74.7 |
| 1998 | 73.8 | 79.5 | 74.5 | 80.0 | 67.6 | 74.8 |
| 1999 | 73.9 | 79.4 | 74.6 | 79.9 | 67.8 | 74.7 |
| 2000 | 74.1 | 79.3 | 74.7 | 79.9 | 68.2 | 75.1 |
| 2001 | 74.2 | 79.4 | 74.8 | 79.9 | 68.4 | 75.2 |
| 2002 | 74.3 | 79.5 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 68.6 | 75.4 |
| 2003 | 74.5 | 79.6 | 75.0 | 80.0 | 68.8 | 75.6 |
| 2004 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 69.3 | 76.0 |
| 2005 | 74.9 | 79.9 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 69.3 | 76.1 |
| 2006 | 75.1 | 80.2 | 75.7 | 80.6 | 69.7 | 76.5 |
| 2007 | 75.4 | 80.4 | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.0 | 76.8 |
| 2008 (preliminary) | 75.5 | 80.5 | 75.9 | 80.8 | 70.9 | 77.4 |
| Projections:†: | ||||||
| 2010 | 75.7 | 80.8 | 76.5 | 81.3 | 70.2 | 77.2 |
| 2015 | 76.4 | 81.4 | 77.1 | 81.8 | 71.4 | 78.2 |
| 2020 | 77.1 | 81.9 | 77.7 | 82.4 | 72.6 | 79.2 |
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