Life Expectancy At The US-Mexico Border: Evidence Of Disparities By Place, Race, And Ethnicity

The mortality experience for the cluster of US counties in the US-Mexico border region has not been well described. We calculated 2016-18 life expectancy for the border region (counties within 100 kilometers of the border), making key comparisons to the US overall and to nonborder counties in border states. Life expectancy from birth for the border region was 81.1 years, which was greater than for the US and for the nonborder counties of border states. However, the disparity in life expectancy between racial/ethnic subgroups in the border region was also greater, within a range of more than thirteen years. Although White, Black, and Asian residents of the border region could expect to live significantly longer than residents of the US and nonborder counties of border states, Hispanic and American Indian residents could not. Understanding the mortality experience via life expectancy can help public health professionals and leaders prioritize efforts to ensure that all border residents have an equal opportunity to live a long, healthy life.