Changes in U.S. life expectancy

In 1993 the expectation of life in the United States apparently declined slightly. Newborns could expect, on average, to live 75.4 years; for baby boys the figure was 72.0 years and for girls 78.7 years. Each of these values represents a decline of 0.3 years from the 1992 provisional expectancies prepared by the National Center for Health Statistics, and results in average future lifetime returning to the 1990-91 level. Last year's decrease in life expectation was primarily brought about by the considerable rise in the absolute number of deaths and the corresponding increase in mortality rates. Indications are that mortality increased from all major forms of death as well as from AIDS. It is estimated that there were 2,260,000 deaths in 1993 compared with the provisional count of 2,177,000 in 1992 and the final figure of 2,169,518 in 1991. Notwithstanding, projections indicate that expectation of life will continue to rise into the foreseeable future although occasional small declines are likely such as that reported for 1993.