Jan 092013
The United States has about six violent deaths per 100,000 residents. None of the 16 other countries included in the review came anywhere close to that ratio. Finland, with slightly more than two violent deaths per 100,000 residents, was closest to the U.S. ranking.
For many years, Americans have been dying at younger ages that people in almost all other wealthy countries. In addition to the impact of gun violence, Americans consume the most calories among peer countries and get involved in more accidents that involve alcohol. The U.S. also suffers higher rates of drug-related deaths, infant mortality and AIDS.
via Gun violence, obesity cut U.S. life expectancy – thestar.com.
Maybe the high rate of incarceration also helps curb the population—most people don’t have kids in jail.
Maggie, Excellent point. Of course, a high incarceration rate slows population growth. See — a lot of the things people worry about are really quite beneficial if you look at them from the right perspective.