A new study published in PLOS ONE reveals that homicide is a major contributor to the widening life expectancy gap between Black and white men in the United States. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison analyzed mortality data from 2019 to 2021, finding that homicide had a greater impact on racial disparities in longevity than even COVID-19 deaths.
The study shows that in 2019, Black men were expected to live 71.4 years on average, compared to 76.4 years for white men. By 2020, this gap increased dramatically, with Black men’s life expectancy dropping to 67.7 years while white men’s fell to 74.9 years. This resulted in a jump from a 5.0-year to a 7.2-year life expectancy difference between the two groups.
Notably, homicide emerged as the leading factor in both life expectancy inequality and lifespan variability between Black and white men. In 2021, the impact of homicide on the racial gap in lifespan variability was nine times greater than that of COVID-19 deaths.
The researchers emphasize the importance of addressing homicides in public health discussions aimed at promoting racial health equity. “Increased homicide is one of the principal reasons why lifespans have become shorter for Black men than white men in recent years,” the authors state, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to reduce this disparity.
See “Homicide rates are a major factor in the gap between Black and white life expectancy, suggests study” (August 21, 2024)
