The life expectancy of Americans has surpassed 78 years, due mainly to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death. The average life expectancy for babies born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.

The United States, however, lags behind some 30 other countries in estimated life span, according to World Health Organization data.

Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 years for children born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the list.
"The international comparisons are not that appealing, but we may be in the process of catching up," said Samuel Preston, a University of Pennsylvania demographer. He is co-chair of a National Research Council panel looking at why America's life expectancy is lower than other nations'.

The new data comes from the National Center for Health Statistics. It's a preliminary report of 2006 numbers, based on data from more than 95 percent of the death certificates collected that year.

The U.S. infant mortality rate dropped more than 2 percent, to 6.7 infant deaths per 1,000 births, from 6.9. Life expectancy was up for both men and women, and whites and blacks. Although the gaps are closing, white women continue to have the highest life expectancy (81 years), followed by black women (about 77 years), white men (76) and black men (70).

Health statisticians said they don't yet have enough reliable data to calculate Hispanic life expectancy.

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