US Life Expectancy at Record High

by

Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years based on just released Preliminary data for 2007

US Life expectancy was 77.7 years based on final 2006 data

135 page pdf of life and death statistics for 2006

Age-adjusted death rates in 2007 decreased significantly from 2006 for 8 of the 15 leading causes of death: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms, Cerebrovascular diseases, Accidents (unintentional injuries), Diabetes mellitus, Influenza and pneumonia, Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease, and Assault (homicide). The rate for Chronic lower respiratory diseases increased in 2007 from 2006. Age-adjusted death rates for Alzheimer’s disease, Septicemia, Intentional self-harm (suicide), Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis did not change significantly in 2007 from 2006.

The preliminary number of deaths in the United States for 2007 was 2,423,995, representing a decrease of 2,269 from the 2006 total. The estimated age-adjusted death rate, which accounts for changes in the age distribution of the population, reached a record low of 760.3 per 100,000 U.S. standard population, 2.1 percent lower than the 2006 rate of 776.5.

The magnitude of the decreases in mortality (which are significant unless specified otherwise) by age group is):
* Under 1 year (0.6 percent, not significant)
* 15–24 years (2.4 percent)
* 25–34 years (1.4 percent)
* 35–44 years (3.1 percent)
* 45–54 years (1.8 percent)
* 55–64 years (1.7 percent)
* 65–74 years (2.7 percent)
* 75–84 years (1.9 percent)
* 85 years and over (2.1 percent)