In the United States, life expectancy at birth is 79. Some people won\u2019t live that long while others will survive much longer. What are the odds you\u2019ll make it to 80? To 100?<\/p>\n
From heredity to gender and education to income, scientists have identified a number of basic characteristics that are linked somehow to life expectancy and that may have an impact on how long you live.<\/p>\n
To begin with, there\u2019s some truth to the old adage, to live a long life, choose your parents wisely<\/a>. Research by the New England Centenarian Study (NECS) suggests that extreme longevity seems to run in families. If you have centenarians in your family tree, you have a better chance than most of surviving to a great age and of staying healthy until very late in life.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, according to NECS founder Thomas T. Perls, MD, heredity isn\u2019t everything, even for centenarians. The secret to living a long life is having the right mix of good genes and healthy habits. Scientists estimate that if you\u2019re like most people, heredity determines only about 30 percent of how well you age (and, presumably, how long you live). Your lifestyle and environment have a much bigger impact.<\/p>\n Women Have an Advantage<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a woman almost anywhere on the planet, you\u2019re likely to outlive the men your age. In the United States, the average woman\u2019s life expectancy at birth is about 81, five years longer than the average man\u2019s.<\/p>\n Women in developed countries have been out-surviving men for centuries<\/a>, despite the risks of childbirth. During the Middle Ages, men complained that this was unnatural because males were stronger and should live longer. Scientists still puzzle over why they don\u2019t; there are many theories, but no one really knows.<\/p>\n Yet according to the Eight Americas study, published in 2008, the gender gap in longevity has shrunk to just five years from almost eight in 1979. In fact, in some parts of the United States, women\u2019s life expectancy is actually dropping. That\u2019s probably because more women smoke today than in the past, and fewer men do.<\/p>\n Life Expectancy Lengthens with Age<\/strong><\/p>\n The longevity statistic most often quoted is life expectancy at birth. It states how long the average baby, born to a particular group in a specific year, is likely to live. For example, researchers predict that female infants born in 2006 to Asian-American families living in New Jersey will survive to about 91. A population\u2019s life expectancy reflects its general health, so scientists watch those numbers closely.<\/p>\n Most Americans live longer than the national life expectancy of 78, says economist and columnist Ed Lotterman. That\u2019s because when longevity is calculated from birth, stillbirths and deaths during the first few years of life pull down the average. <\/p>\n Life expectancy can be based on any age, and it turns out that the older you are, the longer you\u2019re expected to live\u2014up to a point. If you\u2019re American, once you\u2019re 55, experts predict you\u2019ll survive to about 82. By the time you reach 100 or more, demographers concede you only another two years, but centenarians often prove them wrong.<\/p>\n One last thing: calculations of life expectancy assume that conditions won\u2019t change much in the future. That means a breakthrough in treating cancer could propel estimates upward while a global pandemic could depress them.<\/p>\n Life expectancy, in other words, is a useful educated guess.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n White Americans Don\u2019t Live the Longest<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond gender, your racial or ethnic background is linked to your longevity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, Asian Americans have the longest life expectancy at almost 87 years. These are the life expectancies for other groups: <\/p>\n \u2022 Hispanics, 83 The news that Hispanics generally live longer than non-Hispanics surprised some researchers because Spanish-speaking Americans tend to have less income and education than other ethnic groups. Thirty-six percent of today\u2019s Hispanics were born outside the United States, and experts suggest they have a health advantage because only the hardiest souls immigrate<\/a>\u2014in fact, US immigrants of every race tend to live about three years longer than people born in America.<\/p>\n Education and Income Make a Difference<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been to college, whether you graduated or not, you can expect to live longer than someone with just a high school education. Harvard health economist Ellen R. Meara confirmed that in a 2008 study. According to her calculations, 25-year-olds who attended college will likely survive to 82 while those with less schooling have a life expectancy of 75. Meara\u2019s study found that those with less education are more likely to smoke and therefore die earlier. In addition, because those with only a high school diploma tend to earn less, they are more apt to live in substandard housing or a high-crime area and to be without health insurance.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 At 65, expect to live to about 84
\n\u2022 At 75, to nearly 87
\n\u2022 At 85, to roughly 92
\n\u2022 At 95, to about 98<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Non-Hispanic whites, 79
\n\u2022 Native Americans, 74
\n\u2022 African Americans, 73<\/p>\n