The life expectancy for Americans is nearly 78 years, the longest in history, according to new government figures from 2005 released Wednesday.  But that's still shorter than the life span in more than three dozen other countries.

     More bad news:  The annual number of U.S. deaths rose from 2004 to 2005, a depressing uptick after the figure dropped by 50,000 from 2003 to 2004.  In 2005, the latest data available, the number of deaths increased by about that same amount.

     U.S. life expectancy at birth inched up to 77.9 from the previous record, 77.8, recorded for 2004.  The increase was more dramatic in contrast with 1995, when life expectancy was 75.8, and 1955, when it was 69.6.  The improvement was led by a drop in deaths from heart disease and stroke - two of the leading killers, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the report.

      The report is based on about 99% of the death records reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Researchers counted 2,447,910 deaths, up about 2% from the 2,397,615 in 2004.  The 2004 count had been a 2% drop from 2003, which was the biggest decline in nearly 70 years.

    Researchers also noted continued differences by race and sex.  Life expectancy for whites in 2005 was 78.3, the same as it was in 2004.  Black life expectancy rose from 73.1 in 2004 to 73.2 in 2005.  Life expectancy for women continues to be five years longer than for men, the report found.

     The USA lags behind at least 40 other nations.  Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, has the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years.  Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore ranked second, third , fourth and fifth.