尽管美国黑人和白人的预期寿命差距很大，但在1990年至2018年期间，这一差距缩小了48.9%，主要原因是黑人死亡率下降。我们研究了美国富裕地区和贫穷地区的年龄死亡率趋势和预期寿命的种族差距，并参考了六个欧洲国家。美国人预期寿命的不平等比欧洲人更严重。1990年，富裕地区的美国白人和欧洲人的总体预期寿命相似，而贫困地区的美国白人的预期寿命要低一些。但从那以后，即使是富有的美国白人相对于欧洲人也失去了优势。与此同时，美国黑人和欧洲黑人的预期寿命差距缩小了8.3%。在美国所有地区，黑人预期寿命的增长都超过白人，但贫困地区的改善对种族预期寿命差距的影响最大。对黑人死亡率下降贡献最大的原因包括:癌症、凶杀、艾滋病毒以及源自胎儿或婴儿时期的原因。2012年之后，美国黑人和白人的预期寿命都趋于平稳或略有下降，但这种停滞在美国黑人中最为明显，甚至在2019冠状病毒病大流行之前。如果按照1990年至2012年的速度继续改善，到2036年，预期寿命方面的种族差距将会缩小。 European life expectancy also stalled after 2014. Still, the comparison with Europe suggests that mortality rates of both Black and White Americans could fall much further across all ages and in both rich and poor areas. Significance Statement From 1990-2018, the Black-White life expectancy gap fell 48.9% though progress stalled after 2012 as life expectancy plateaued or declined. If improvements had continued at the 1990-2012 rate, the racial gap in life expectancy would have closed by 2036. Black life expectancy in 1990 started below European or White American levels but grew at a faster rate: the gap between Europeans and Black Americans decreased by 8.3% between 1990-2018. In 1990 White Americans and Europeans in rich areas had similar life expectancy, while White Americans in poor areas had lower life expectancy than poor Europeans. But all White Americans have lost ground relative to Europeans. Current incomebased life expectancy gaps are starker in the U.S. than in comparable European countries.