Life expectancy in the United States has reached its highest point, but it has fallen behind 41 other countries including Japan, most of European countries, Jordan and the Cayman Islands, the AP reported.

The lower status of the U.S. life expectancy results from other countries rapidly improving health care, nutrition and lifestyles.

A U.S. resident born in 2004 is expected to live 77.9 years, the 42nd among all the countries worldwide compared to the 11th two decades ago.

"Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries," the AP quoted Dr Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington as saying.

New reports say the low U.S. life expectancy ranking is due to the high uninsured rate, rising obesity rates and racial disparities.   Black residents have a short life span than whites. The U.S. also has a high infant mortality rate compared to 40 other countries in 2004.

Life expectancy in Andorra is longest, 83.5 years while the shortest is in Swaziland, which is 34.1 years, due to the high rate of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, famine and civil strife.