Going Up

For the first time in history, the U.S. woman can expect to reach the biblical age of threescore years and ten. On the basis of 1946 death rates, the U.S. Public Health Service announced last week, the average white woman's life expectancy is 70.3 years, that of white-men, 65.1.* The margin of difference between the races has been narrowing since 1900, but the average life span of non-whites is still much lower: for non-white women, 61 years; for non-white men, 57.5. General U.S. average is nearly 67 years, which is one year longer than in 1945, two years longer than in 1939-41.