June 2, 2016 10:34AM 

# We’re Living Longer Lives Than Ever 

By [Chelsea Follett](https://www.cato.org/people/chelsea-follett) 

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Yesterday, the Washington Post [reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/01/reversing-long-term-trend-death-rate-for-americans-ticks-upward/) that the U.S. age-adjusted death rate has ticked up slightly, breaking a trend of [long-term decline](http://humanprogress.org/story/2104). That is worrying and worth looking into, but let’s not lose sight of the broader picture.

![label ](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/humanprogress.org/95669420065/LFE1.png?itok=hTPy9-Ee) 

The [rise in U.S. life expectancy](http://humanprogress.org/static/3001) has been going on for more than a century—almost uninterrupted. The only major disruption to the trend was a brief dip a century ago caused by the Spanish Flu pandemic following the end of WWI. What a pity that long-term trends do not make for flashy headlines!

![label ](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/humanprogress.org/73689875751/LFE2.png?itok=AI1BdWRx) 

Life expectancy isn’t the same for different groups. As is the case globally, the gender gap in the United States [favors women](http://humanprogress.org/static/2999). Scientists are still studying why women live longer than men, but it may be related to differences in the [immune system](http://www.bbc.com/news/health-22528388).

![label ](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/humanprogress.org/168669950245/LFE3.png?itok=4RN5M4hG) 

Racial life expectancy disparities have [narrowed considerably](http://humanprogress.org/static/3000) since 1900, although they still remain. The gender gap has proved far more persistent than the racial gap: African American women now outlive white American men on average.

![label ](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/humanprogress.org/284072878660/LFE4.png?itok=zcy6pErs) 

Life expectancy has been rising at an [even faster pace](http://humanprogress.org/story/2314) in most developing countries, thanks in large part to [falling infant mortality rates](http://humanprogress.org/story/2386). In my lifetime alone, Africans have gained almost eight years of life on average, while U.S. life expectancy has risen by almost four years. While it may not make for a good headline, rising life expectancy certainly makes for a story worth telling.

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