United States Life Tables, 2013

Area of Science:

• Demography
• Public Health
• Mortality Statistics

Background:

• Life tables provide crucial insights into population health and longevity.
• Understanding trends in life expectancy across different demographic groups is essential for public health policy.
• Previous methodologies for life table estimation have been established for specific populations and data years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present comprehensive period life tables for the United States.
• To analyze life expectancy at birth by race, Hispanic origin, and sex for the year 2013.
• To compare 2013 life expectancy data with previous years to identify trends.

Main Methods:

• Utilized final mortality statistics from 2013.
• Incorporated July 1, 2013 population estimates derived from the 2010 decennial census.
• Employed Medicare data for individuals aged 66-99 for the year 2013.
• Applied established methodologies for life table estimation, consistent with prior years (since 2008) and specific to the Hispanic population (since 2006).

Main Results:

• The overall life expectancy at birth in the United States was 78.8 years in 2013, showing no change from 2012.
• Life expectancy remained constant for males (76.4 years), females (81.2 years), the black population (75.5 years), the Hispanic population (81.9 years), and the non-Hispanic black population (75.1 years).
• A slight decline in life expectancy at birth was observed for the white population (from 79.1 to 79.0 years) and the non-Hispanic white population (from 78.9 to 78.8 years).

Conclusions:

• Overall life expectancy in the US remained stagnant in 2013.
• Disparities in life expectancy trends persist across racial and ethnic groups.
• The findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of mortality trends and targeted public health interventions.