Since 1900, life expectancy in the U.S. has shown consistent improvement.  According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy in 2010 was 78.7 years, which was an improvement of 11% since 1970.  However, disparities in life expectancy by race continue to exist.

White life expectancy is higher than all races averaged, but only by a margin of 0.2 years.  The most marked differences were between whites and blacks.  Average life expectancy for the black population was 3.8 years lower than the white population.  It was even more pronounced when looking at the statistics by sex.  Black males had a life expectancy 4.7 years lower than white males, while black females had a life expectancy 3.3 years lower than white females.

Cause of death helped explain the difference, with higher death rates for the black population due to homicide, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and perinatal conditions.  For the overall black population or when considering just males or females, the greatest disadvantage to life expectancy came from heart disease.  For black females, the second highest disadvantage was cancer, but for black males it was homicide.

This week, President Obama highlighted that black males, especially younger black men, are more likely to be homicide victims.  Though there is some controversy surrounding the race of the perpetrators, the statistics about the race of the victims are undeniable.  Another study, published in April 2013, echoed the notion that homicide is the undisputed leading cause of death for young black men between 18 and 24 years of age.  On average, 88 of every 100,000 young black men are killed, with higher rates in some urban areas.  In particular, New Orleans has a shocking rate of 426 homicides per 100,000.

Racial inequalities in health are not a new issue.  Research published in 2008 in the journal Public Health discussed health disparities by race and ethnicity.  Blacks have a shorter life expectancy and a lower quality of life.  Health inequalities can be tied to socioeconomic status, which points to a broader issue of addressing class disparities.  Lower socioeconomic status can be correlated with race.  Lower socioeconomic status can also be tied to poorer health due to lack of health insurance, access to doctors, or education about self-management of health.

These health disparities can also be costly.  In the International Journal of Health Services, a study estimated that eliminating health inequalities for minorities could save as much as $230 billion in direct costs and $1 trillion in indirect costs.  A healthier population costs less in public services and can be productive, tax-paying members of society.