Presently, the life expectancy for African American females is about ____ years, and for White American females it is about ____ years.

• A. 70; 75
• B. 72; 77
• C. 68; 74
• D. 75; 80

Answer: (B)

Understanding life expectancy differences by race and gender. Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live given current mortality rates, and in the United States there is a persistent gap between African American women and White women. The best estimate places African American females around 72 years and White American females around 77 years, meaning White women live about five years longer on average. This reflects broader patterns of health disparities tied to factors like access to care, socioeconomic conditions, and chronic disease burdens that can affect longevity. Other options would not align with the observed gap or the typical age levels for these groups; they would imply either a much smaller or much larger disparity or different absolute ages that don’t match current data.