Average Life Expectancy for African American Males
The average life expectancy for African American males in the United States is 69.2 years, which is approximately 6.4 years lower than non-Hispanic white males at 75.6 years. 1
Current Life Expectancy Data
African American males have the lowest life expectancy among major ethnic-sex populations in the United States, at 69.2 years compared to 75.6 years for non-Hispanic white males and 77.9 years for Hispanic males 1
For context in clinical decision-making, a 65-year-old African American man has a baseline life expectancy of 16 years, which can be adjusted to 24 years if he is in the healthiest quartile or 8 years if he is in the unhealthiest quartile 2
Trends and Improvements
Significant progress has been made in narrowing the mortality gap: from 2000 to 2014, the overall black-to-white mortality disparity ratio decreased to 1.21, representing meaningful improvement 3
Between 1990 and 2009, the black-white life expectancy gap shrank by 2.7 years for males (from 8.1 years to 5.4 years difference) 4
Historical data shows even more dramatic improvements: black male life expectancy increased by 4.6 years between 1968 and 1978, primarily due to better cardiovascular disease management and improved access to healthcare 5
Major Contributing Factors to Mortality Disparities
Leading causes of death for African American men (2014):
- Heart disease accounts for 24.8% of deaths 3
- Cancer accounts for 23.0% of deaths 3
- Unintentional injuries account for 5.8% 3
- Stroke accounts for 5.1% 3
- Homicide accounts for 4.3% 3
Persistent disparities with highest black-to-white mortality ratios:
- Homicide: 10.43 times higher risk 3
- HIV/AIDS: 8.01 times higher risk 3
- Diabetes: 1.88 times higher risk 3
- Stroke: 1.61 times higher risk 3
- Heart disease: 1.23 times higher risk 3
Socioeconomic and Healthcare Access Factors
Socioeconomic position is the single largest contributor to mortality differences between black and white men, with income adjustment reducing the mortality risk ratio from 1.47 to 1.19 6
Among African American men aged ≥40 years, 81.5% report hypertension, 50.8% have high cholesterol, and 36.9% have diabetes—all major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors 7
Considerable state-level variation exists in the life expectancy gap (approximately 15 years difference between best and worst states), suggesting that local policies and healthcare access significantly impact outcomes 4
Clinical Implications
When counseling African American male patients, recognize that:
- Cardiovascular disease prevention represents the highest-yield intervention, as it contributed most significantly to mortality improvements over recent decades 5
- Hypertension detection and control has been the key driver of improved outcomes and should be aggressively managed 5
- Access to healthcare and treatment adherence remain critical modifiable factors that directly impact life expectancy 6