What is the average life expectancy for Americans?

The average life expectancy for Americans is 78.8 years as of June 2015, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2013, the life expectancy was 81.2 years for females and 76.4 years for males, a 4.8-year difference between females and males.

In 2013, 2,596,993 U.S. residents died, 821.5 deaths per 100,000 population, and 23,440 children under 1

year old died, a rate of 596.1 infant deaths per 100,000 live births, notes the CDC. The leading cause of death is heart disease, followed by cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases. For infants, the leading cause of death is congenital malformations, followed by low birth weight and maternal complications.