A child born in the United States in 2005 can expect to live nearly 78 years (77.9)--a new high--according to a report released Sept. 12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005, from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), is based on approximately 99 percent of death records reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 2005.
The increase in life expectancy represents a continuation of a long-running trend. Over the past decade, life expectancy has increased from 75.8 years in 1995, and from 69.6 years in 1955. Life expectancy for the white population was 78.3 in 2005, unchanged from the record high of 2004. Life expectancy for the black population increased slightly from 73.1 years in 2004 to 73.2 years in 2005. The age-adjusted U.S. death rate fell to below 800 deaths per 100,000 population in 2005--an all-time low.
Final U.S. mortality data for 2005 will not be available until next year.
