In 1900, life expectancy was 46.6 years for White males and 48.7 years for White females. Now the figures are 75.9 years and 80.8 years, respectively. For Black males, life expectancy is 70.0 years, and for Black females, it is 76.8 years (National Center for Health Statistics 2012). Much of the racial difference in life expectancy between Black and White populations stems from higher mortality in younger Blacks. By age 65, White American life expectancy has dwindled to only about 1.5 years greater than Black American life expectancy. Japan has the highest overall life expectancy, 83 years (Population Reference Bureau 2011), while the United States’ overall life expectancy is the highest it has ever been, 77.9 years (National Center for Health Statistics 2012). As noted, the percentage of the population over age 65 is also increasing rapidly.