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Fact Check: Males In Iraq, Syria And North Korea Have Higher Life Expectancy Than Black American Men

Fact Check: Males In Iraq, Syria And North Korea Have Higher Life Expectancy Than Black American Men

Black life expectancy

Fact Check: Males In Iraq, Syria And North Korea Have Higher Life Expectancy Than Black American Men Photo: Demonstrators hold high an American flag as they protest June 5, 2020, near the White House in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Gravel Institute tweeted on Nov. 17 that “Black men in the United States had a lower life expectancy in the first half of 2020, 68.3 years, than males in Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and North Korea.” But how true is it?

The Gravel Institute is a progressive think tank that produces videos on history, economics, and global conditions.

It turns out the claim by the Gravel Institute is factual. 

Black males in America have lost three years in life expectancy over the last two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in part due to the disproportionate number of covid-19 deaths. This was the largest drop in life expectancy since World War II. Non-Hispanic Black males in the U.S. now have the lowest life expectancy of any group, Michigan Chronicle reported. 

The average life expectancy fell from 71 to 68.3 for Black American men, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, life expectancy for males In Iraq is about 68.57 years, according to Statista. Conditions in the country are considered unsafe. Many people struggle with poverty, unemployment, and malnutrition, according to the global poverty advocacy The Borgen Project. The political situation in Iraq also remains precarious.

For men in Syria, the life expectancy was 72.70 years (2019), according to The World Bank. In Syria, more than 80 percent of the citizens live in extreme poverty, according to World Vision. There are constant threats of violence as Syria is an active conflict zone.

The life expectancy of men in North Korea is 72.27 years (2019), according to the World Bank.

North Korea in 2020 remained one of the most repressive countries in the world. Under the rule of Kim Jong Un, the third leader of the nearly 75-year Kim dynasty, the totalitarian government deepened repression and maintained fearful obedience using threats of execution, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, and forced labor,” reported Human Rights Watch.

The low life expectancy of Black American men surprised some on Twitter.

“But guys. Greatest country on earth,” tweeted Solomon @solomon9143.

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