Current:Home > MarketsAmerican life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades -WorldMoney
American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades
View
Date:2025-04-18 02:17:49
The average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That decrease follows an already big decline of 1.8 years in 2020. As a result, the expected life span of someone born in the U.S. is now 76.4 years — the shortest it has been in nearly two decades.
The two reports, released by the CDC on Thursday, show deaths from COVID-19 and drug overdoses, most notably synthetic opioids like fentanyl, were the primary drivers of the drop in life expectancy.
"It's not a good year for the data, let's put it that way," says CDC statistician Kenneth Kochanek.
It's rare to see such big changes in life span year to year, but the pandemic claimed nearly 417,000 lives last year — more than even the year before — making COVID-19 the third leading cause of death for the second consecutive year.
Kochanek and his colleagues had hoped the release of new vaccines might make for a healthier 2021, and didn't anticipate deaths from COVID-19 would top the prior year. But they were wrong. In fact, COVID-19 accounted for about 60% of the decline in life expectancy.
Preliminary data from 2022 so far indicate deaths from COVID-19 are on the decline, but Kochanek says that doesn't mean life expectancy will rebound quickly in years to come, because COVID-19 was, by no means, the only contributor to the higher death toll in 2021.
Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., along with other top killers like cancer, diabetes and kidney disease also proved more lethal in 2021.
Meanwhile, deaths from Alzheimer's, flu and pneumonia declined, perhaps because the coronavirus hit the elderly population particularly hard.
The new numbers also speak to the acute mental health crisis that's run parallel to the pandemic: Deaths from drug overdoses reached over 106,000 last year — another major factor reducing life expectancy, according to the second CDC analysis released on Thursday.
Deaths by suicide and from liver disease, or cirrhosis, caused by alcohol also increased — shortening the average American life span.
"The majority of those deaths are to younger people, and deaths to younger people affect the overall life expectancy more than deaths to the elderly," Kochanek says.
Men and women saw a similar decline in life expectancy last year, but women are living, on average, until over 79 years old, which is about six years longer than men
The CDC also found that death rates for certain racial and ethnic groups actually decreased last year, specifically among Hispanic and Black men. Death rates increased for almost all other groups, although it was most pronounced among white men and women, as well as American Indian or Alaska Native women.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F': New promo released of Eddie Murphy movie starring NFL's Jared Goff
- Why is this small town in Pennsylvania considered the best place to retire?
- New York Jets take quarterback on NFL draft's third day: Florida State's Jordan Travis
- Sam Taylor
- Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Make Red Carpet Debut at 2024 White House Correspondents' Dinner
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem writes about killing her dog in new book
- Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Family Photos With Son Rocky
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products That Are Chemical-Free & Smell Amazing
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Chic & Comfy Maxi Skirts That Will Effortlessly Elevate Your Summer Style
- Nicole Kidman, who ‘makes movies better,’ gets AFI Life Achievement Award
- Here's how much income it takes to be considered rich in your state
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Seeking engagement and purpose, corporate employees turn to workplace volunteering
- How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
- Match Group CEO Bernard Kim on romance scams: Things happen in life
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Attorneys for American imprisoned by Taliban file urgent petitions with U.N.
Eagles draft Jeremiah Trotter Jr., son of Philadelphia's Pro Bowl linebacker
Another McCaffrey makes the NFL: Washington Commanders select WR Luke McCaffrey
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing $1.9B tax cut and refund for businesses
Why is this small town in Pennsylvania considered the best place to retire?
NFL draft grades: Every pick from 2024 second and third round