|
E-mail this page to a friend!
How Much Longer Will You Live?
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
Dec. 29, 2004 - One of the things that always
crosses a senior citizen's mind as a new year dawns is "how much longer
am I going to live?" Maybe you have not thought about it, but the older
you are now, the older you are going to get - up to a point.
| |
Life Expectancy Graph |
| |
 |
| |
|
2002 |
All |
Male |
Female |
|
Birth |
77.3 |
74.5 |
79.9 |
|
Age 65 |
83.2 |
81.6 |
84.5 |
|
Age 75 |
86.5 |
85.3 |
87.4 |
|
For example, if you are a 65-year-old female, the
odds are that you will live to be about 85. But, if you are now 75, odds
are you will last until you are about 88. Unfortunately, this curve
flattens as we get much older.
Earlier this month the National Center for Health
Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control presented the final
national mortality statistics for 2002, from which they drew
considerable data, including new life expectancy tables. These tables
have more recently been updated.
The new study shows death rates decreased for all
age groups except those under one-year-old. It also shows life
expectancy continues to increase for men and women, although, men are
gaining on the women.
African Americans still have shorter life spans,
but that, too, is improving.
The table below shows life expectancy in 2002, and
selected prior years back to 1900.
Life expectancy at
birth, 65 years of age and at 75 years of age
United States, selected
years 1900-2002
(Data are based on death certificates)
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
| |
All races |
White |
Black, African Am.1 |
|
Specified age |
Both |
|
|
Both |
|
|
Both |
|
|
|
and year |
sexes |
Male |
Female |
sexes |
Male |
Female |
sexes |
Male |
Female |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At birth |
Remaining life expectancy in years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19002,3........... |
47.3 |
46.3 |
48.3 |
47.6 |
46.6 |
48.7 |
33.0 |
32.5 |
33.5 |
|
19503............. |
68.2 |
65.6 |
71.1 |
69.1 |
66.5 |
72.2 |
60.8 |
59.1 |
62.9 |
|
19603............. |
69.7 |
66.6 |
73.1 |
70.6 |
67.4 |
74.1 |
63.6 |
61.1 |
66.3 |
|
1970.............. |
70.8 |
67.1 |
74.7 |
71.7 |
68.0 |
75.6 |
64.1 |
60.0 |
68.3 |
|
1975.............. |
72.6 |
68.8 |
76.6 |
73.4 |
69.5 |
77.3 |
66.8 |
62.4 |
71.3 |
|
1980.............. |
73.7 |
70.0 |
77.4 |
74.4 |
70.7 |
78.1 |
68.1 |
63.8 |
72.5 |
|
1981.............. |
74.1 |
70.4 |
77.8 |
74.8 |
71.1 |
78.4 |
68.9 |
64.5 |
73.2 |
|
1982.............. |
74.5 |
70.8 |
78.1 |
75.1 |
71.5 |
78.7 |
69.4 |
65.1 |
73.6 |
|
1983.............. |
74.6 |
71.0 |
78.1 |
75.2 |
71.6 |
78.7 |
69.4 |
65.2 |
73.5 |
|
1984.............. |
74.7 |
71.1 |
78.2 |
75.3 |
71.8 |
78.7 |
69.5 |
65.3 |
73.6 |
|
1985.............. |
74.7 |
71.1 |
78.2 |
75.3 |
71.8 |
78.7 |
69.3 |
65.0 |
73.4 |
|
1986.............. |
74.7 |
71.2 |
78.2 |
75.4 |
71.9 |
78.8 |
69.1 |
64.8 |
73.4 |
|
1987.............. |
74.9 |
71.4 |
78.3 |
75.6 |
72.1 |
78.9 |
69.1 |
64.7 |
73.4 |
|
1988.............. |
74.9 |
71.4 |
78.3 |
75.6 |
72.2 |
78.9 |
68.9 |
64.4 |
73.2 |
|
1989.............. |
75.1 |
71.7 |
78.5 |
75.9 |
72.5 |
79.2 |
68.8 |
64.3 |
73.3 |
|
|
|
| 
