In 2008, the life expectancy gap between white males and black males was approximately how many years?

• A. About five years
• B. About one year
• C. About two years
• D. About ten years

Answer: (A)

Racial disparities in health show up in life expectancy differences between groups, reflecting how social determinants shape mortality over the life course. In 2008, national data showed that white males tended to live longer than black males by several years. The commonly cited figure is about five years, meaning the average life expectancy at birth was roughly five years higher for white men than for black men. This gap arises from unequal access to resources, differences in healthcare, and higher exposure to chronic stress and risk factors in communities facing economic disadvantage and segregation. While gaps smaller than five years (one or two) would understate the disparity, and gaps much larger (around ten years) would overstate what the data indicated at that time, five years is the best approximate estimate for that year.