Despite the fact crime rates are decreasing in the United States, the number of homicides committed against black men is still extremely high. Researchers say that black men have an extremely high chance of being murdered by age 45, much higher than white males.

According to the Heritage Foundation:

• Approximately one in every 12 black 15-year-old males who live in Washington, D.C., can expect to be murdered before reaching age 45.

• For Brooklyn, the major urban community with the lowest 1998 homicide rates for young black males, roughly one in every 53 black 5-year-old males will die from homicide before reaching their 45th birthday.

• The probability of being murdered by age 45 is 2.21 percent nationally for all U.S. black males and 0.29 percent for all white males (see figure).

Homicide rates are falling substantially in many U.S. cities, but the trend is not at all evident in others.

Source: Gareth G. Davis and David B. Mulhausen, "Young African-American Males: Continuing Victims of High Homicide Rate in Urban Communities," CDA Report No. 00-05, May 2, 2000, Heritage Center For Data Analysis, Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002, (202) 546-4400.

For text http://www.heritage.org/Research/Crime/CDA00-05.cfm