Now that the government can borrow more money, Americans can get on with their lives, which are lasting longer than ever before, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Key findings from the CDC's morbidly titled report, Death in the United States 2009, paint a much brighter picture revealing that the average lifetime for Americans had reached an all-time high of 78.2 years, while the average yearly death rate hit an all-time low of 741.0 per 100,000 people.
Women Live Longer: According to the CDC, white females now have the longest life expectancy at 80.9 years, followed by black females at 77.4 years. Life expectancy for white males is now 76.2 years, compared to 70.9 years for black males.
While there has always been a gap in life expectancy between the white and black population, that gap decreased by 22% from 2000 to 2009, reported the CDC.
Does Where You Live Matter? Hawaii's death rate of 619.8 deaths per 100,000 population is the lowest in the nation, 16.4% lower than the national average of 741.0 per 100,000 people. West Virginia had the highest death rate in 2009 at 749.4 per 100,000 people, 28.2% higher than the national average.
Why We Die: Heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, and accidents accounted for almost 64 percent of all deaths in the United States in 2009. Among persons age 1-24, "external" causes like accidents, homicide, and suicide were the leading causes of death, followed by cancer and heart disease. In older age groups, chronic conditions account for more deaths than do external causes of injury, reported the CDC.
Comments