The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the already existing disparity in life expectancy between Black and White Americans. While Black Americans were significantly more likely to die from the virus, a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found increased rates in homicides over the same time period are partly responsible for the significant widening of the Black-White life expectancy gap.
For their study, the authors examined publicly available data on Black and White Americans from the National Center for Health Sciences. From 2019 to 2020, the United States experienced a 30 percent increase in homicides – the largest one-year increase in over a century. However, this increase was particularly pronounced among Black Americans, who experienced a 39 percent increase in homicides, compared to 22 percent among White Americans.
The most likely cause for death among Black and White Americans in 2020 and 2021 was complications from the COVID-19 virus. However, disparities in homicides during this time period contributed more to the Black-White life expectancy gap than every other cause of death, including the COVID-19 virus. Specifically, the impact of homicides on the Black-White longevity gap was three time more impactful than COVID-19 in 2020 and nine times more impactful in 2021.
The authors believe their findings provide important insight how the pandemic affected the Black community. They write, “One thing is clear: reductions in homicide will require conscious effort and should be at the fore of any public health discussion aimed at promoting health equity.”
