Black/white life expectancy differences and sociodemographics: Arkansas and the U.S.

Life expectancy data by race and gender for Arkansas show whites having longer average life expectancies at birth than blacks. Racial differences in life expectancy have been found to be due to higher mortality rates for blacks due to their tendency to fall into high-risk groups. Cause-specific mortality rates by race and gender for Arkansans 25 years and older were calculated for the ten leading causes of death in the state. Blacks in Arkansas had higher mortality rates than whites for each major cause of death except pulmonary diseases and suicide.