American Indian and Alaska Natives: The Lowest Life Expectancy
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people experience the lowest life expectancy in the United States. In 2022, the life expectancy for the non-Hispanic AIAN population was 67.8 years, significantly lower than the national average. This reflects a long-standing pattern of health inequality that has been worsened by recent public health crises, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected marginalized communities.
Historical Trends and Underreporting
For decades, AIAN communities have faced persistent health disadvantages. A 2025 study highlighted that life expectancy for self-identified AIAN individuals was 72.7 years from 2008 to 2019, 6.5 years less than the U.S. average. This research also found that official statistics significantly underreport AIAN mortality due to misclassification of race on death certificates, making the true disparities even larger than reported.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, AIAN populations saw stagnant or declining life expectancy, in contrast to gains made by most other groups. The pandemic further exacerbated this trend, with AIAN people experiencing the largest decline in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021.
Factors Contributing to the Disparity
No single factor explains the racial disparities in life expectancy. Instead, a complex interplay of socioeconomic conditions, healthcare access issues, and the lasting effects of systemic discrimination contribute to the profound differences seen in the data.
Socioeconomic Factors
Several social determinants of health create major obstacles for AIAN and Black communities, which experience the lowest life expectancies.
- Poverty and Income Inequality: Studies show a strong link between lower socioeconomic status and reduced life expectancy. AIAN and Black communities have historically faced disproportionately higher rates of poverty and income inequality, which limit access to vital resources like healthy food, safe housing, and quality education.
- Educational Attainment: Research has demonstrated that higher levels of education are correlated with longer life expectancy. Educational disparities exist across racial lines, influencing employment opportunities and income, which in turn impact health outcomes.
- Food Insecurity: AIAN and Black children are significantly more likely to experience food insecurity compared to their white peers, affecting long-term health and development.
Healthcare Access and Quality
Inequities in healthcare are a primary driver of life expectancy gaps. AIAN communities, in particular, often rely on underfunded and under-resourced Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities.
- High Uninsured Rates: AIAN and Hispanic people have higher rates of being uninsured compared to white counterparts. Lack of insurance can prevent individuals from seeking preventative care, leading to the late diagnosis and management of serious conditions.
- Underinvestment in Health Services: The federal government has consistently underfunded the IHS, leaving many AIAN communities with limited access to adequate medical care. These systemic issues lead to higher rates of preventable and treatable health conditions becoming fatal.
- Chronic Health Conditions: Leading causes of death like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic liver disease disproportionately affect AIAN and Black populations. Inadequate healthcare access and resources contribute to worse management and higher mortality rates for these conditions.
Structural Racism and Historical Trauma
Research increasingly points to structural racism as a root cause of health disparities.
- Historical Trauma: The legacy of historical oppression, land dispossession, and violence against AIAN communities has created intergenerational trauma that negatively impacts health outcomes.
- Chronic Stress: Constant exposure to racism, marginalization, and discrimination creates toxic stress, which is a major contributor to poor health outcomes among marginalized groups.
- Systemic Inequities: Laws and policies that create and maintain unequal distribution of resources, based on race, have had a long-term impact on life expectancy. For example, historically segregated cities have been linked to poorer health outcomes for Black residents.
Comparison of Racial Life Expectancy (2022) in the United States
The following table compares life expectancy for various racial and ethnic groups based on CDC data for the year 2022.
| Race/Ethnicity | Life Expectancy (2022) |
|---|---|
| Asian (non-Hispanic) | 84.4 years |
| Hispanic | 80.0 years |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 77.5 years |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 72.8 years |
| American Indian and Alaska Native (non-Hispanic) | 67.8 years |
The Role of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare and worsened existing racial health inequities. Provisional data shows a sharp drop-off in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021 for all racial groups, but disproportionately affecting communities of color. The declines were largest for AIAN, Hispanic, and Black people, due to a combination of higher exposure risk from frontline jobs, crowded housing, and underlying health conditions. The pandemic’s effect widened the life expectancy gap between minority groups and the white population, reversing years of progress. For example, the gap between Black and white life expectancy increased significantly in 2020. While overall life expectancy saw a small increase between 2021 and 2022 as COVID-19 deaths decreased, the underlying disparities remain.
Conclusion
The question, What race has the lowest life expectancy?, reveals deep-seated and complex health disparities in the U.S. For decades, American Indian and Alaska Native people have faced the most significant challenges, leading to the lowest life expectancy among all racial groups. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought renewed attention to these issues by disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, the root causes are not new. Instead, they stem from a combination of long-standing socioeconomic inequities, unequal access to quality healthcare, and the pervasive effects of structural racism and historical trauma. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive, systemic change that tackles the fundamental drivers of health disparities, not just their symptoms.
To learn more about the historical context and data on racial inequality in the U.S., visit the National Equity Atlas.
