Life Expectancy by Race or Skin Color in Brazil

Author: Cássio Maldonado Turra, Laura Carvalho Andrade

Edition: 1st

Published in: November 2024

This study, carried out in partnership with researchers from Cedeplar/UFMG, investigates the differences in life expectancy at birth between blacks and whites in Brazil. Using a combination of information from the IBGE and mortality statistics from the SUS, life expectancy for different racial and gender groups was estimated.

The results indicate that white women born between 2010 and 2019 have a life expectancy at birth of 80.06 years, while black women reach 76.01 years of age. White men have a life expectancy of 74.52 years, while blacks have 68.65 years, with a difference of 5.87 years. However, these differences are more pronounced in the first 30 years of life and decrease with advancing age.

Among men, 10% of the difference is due to childhood mortality (0-4 years), and approximately 38% is associated with a higher incidence of deaths among black men aged 15 to 34 years, of which 83.6% are attributed to violence (“external causes” according to SUS). In the case of women, the greatest difference is concentrated between 35 and 59 years of age, due to higher mortality rates from neoplasms and respiratory diseases in black women.

The differences in life expectancy observed are intrinsically linked to socioeconomic factors, including conditions of poverty, access to sanitation and clean water, unequal access to education, and exposure to violence. This demonstrates the urgent need for public policies and actions focused on sanitation, water supply and in the most vulnerable groups.

Good studies!