U.S. Life Expectancy Reaches Record High of 77.9 Years

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that life expectancy in the United States reached a new peak of 77.9 years. The CDC based its data on births in 2005 and published it in a report titled, "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005."

Analysts at the CDC compiled the report using available mortality data. The agency projects that number to be the average lifespan for a child born in the United States in 2005.