Why Is This Important?

Life expectancy is a summary mortality measure often used to describe the overall health status of a population.

Definition

Average remaining number of years that a person 65 years of age would be expected to live if current death rates were to remain constant In NJSHAD, life expectancy is calculated using a method developed by CL Chiang. For more information on calculation of life expectancy in NJSHAD, please visit the [[a href="query/LifeExp.html" life expectancy documentation page]].

Data Sources

• Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
  (https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/)
• Population Estimates, State Data Center, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
  (https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/demographics/population-household-estimates/)

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

Life expectancy at age 65 was slowly increasing, other than a small decline in 2017-2018, however the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in a sharp decline. As of 2020, the average remaining life expectancy at age 65 among New Jersey residents was 18.5 years (or to age 83.5). Life expectancy at 65 among females (19.8 years or age 84.8) is 2.8 years greater than among males (17.0 years or age 82). For life expectancy at birth, the gap was 5.9 years in 2020. Among New Jersey residents in 2020, life expectancy at age 65 was highest among Asians (23.9 years remaining or age 88.9), followed by Hispanics (19.5 years or age 84.5), Whites (18.6 years or age 83.6), and Blacks (16.2 years of age 81.2). In comparison, life expectancy at birth was 86.1 years among Asians, 78.4 among Hispanics and Whites, and 72.2 among Blacks. By county, 2020 estimates ranged from 16.4 years (age 81.4) in Cumberland to 21.0 years (age 86) in Hunterdon.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

Life expectancy at age 65 among New Jersey residents was the same as that of the nation as a whole in 2020.[https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db427.htm ^1^]

Available Services

Average life expectancy for your zip code or census tract: [https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/interactives/whereyouliveaffectshowlongyoulive.html Neighborhood Life Expectancy Project] Interactive map of life expectancy estimates by state or census tract: [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/life-expectancy/ NCHS Data Visualization Gallery]

More Resources

[https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/life-expectancy.htm NCHS FastStats] - Life Expectancy [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/life_tables.htm U.S. Life Tables] - 1890 to present [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/usaleep/usaleep.html U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP)] - Data and Methodology

Footnote References

1. Mortality in the United States, 2020: [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db427.htm]