By Alexa Spencer | Word In Black
Black people in America are expected to live longer than they did in previous years, according to new data from the federal government.
A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a 1.6 year increase in lifespan for Black Americans between 2021 and 2022 — extending the average age of death for Black people from 71.2 to 72.8.
Compared to other races and ethnicities during that time frame, Black non-Hispanic Americans had the third greatest increase in life expectancy. American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanics gained 2.3 years and Hispanics gained 2.2 years.
The researchers attribute the additional years to a decrease in deaths caused by COVID-19, which took an estimated 1.15 million lives. Black people also saw a decrease in heart disease-, homicide-, diabetes-, and cancer-related deaths.
While progress was made at the end of the pandemic, other illnesses remained a threat. The three leading causes of death for Black folks between 2021 and 2022 were perinatal conditions, birth defects, and kidney disease.
