Data from the National Vital Statistics System (Mortality) Life expectancy at birth is 78.7 years. Hispanic females have the longest life expectancy (83.8 years) followed by non-Hispanic white females (81.1 years). The largest decrease in mortality between the years 2000 and 2010 occurred in the age group under age 25 years (15.8 percent), followed by those aged 65 years and over (13.3 percent). States in the southeast region generally have higher death rates than those in other regions of the country. In 2010, the five leading causes of death were: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, and accidents. The ranking of conditions varies according to demographics such as age, sex, and race. The infant mortality rate reached a record-low level of 6.14 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2010.
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