Life Expectancy Drops for US White Female

April 20, 2016

Life expectancy for white women in the U.S. has dropped for the second time in recent years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is in stark contrast to what's happened with other race and sex groups, which have experienced increases in life expectancy or stayed about the same, the report said.

Between 2013 and 2014, life expectancy for white women fell slightly, from 81.2 years to 81.1 years, according to the report. During that same time period, life expectancy for other racial and sex groups in the U.S. either increased or remained the same, the report found.

For example, life expectancy increased for Hispanic females, from 83.8 to 84.0 years, and remained unchanged for black females, at 78.1 years. It increased for black males, from 71.8 to 72.2 years, and for Hispanic males, from 79.1 to 79.2 years, while it stayed the same for white males, at 76.5 years, during the study period, the report said.