NEW YORK — Life expectancy in the United States experienced a notable increase last year, and initial estimates indicate that there might be another, albeit minor, improvement this year.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Thursday, death rates declined across nearly all major causes of mortality, particularly from COVID-19, heart disease, and drug overdoses. This decline has contributed to an increase of almost a year in the average lifespan of Americans.
Experts suggest that this trend represents a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, though life expectancy has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the pace of improvement seems to be gradually diminishing.
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a researcher at the University of Minnesota focused on death trends, stated, “What you’re seeing is continued improvement, but slowing improvement. We are sort of converging back to some kind of normal that is worse than it was before the pandemic.”
In the past year, around 3.1 million people in the U.S. lost their lives, which is approximately 189,000 fewer than the previous year. This decrease in mortality rates was observed across all racial and ethnic groups, affecting both genders equally.
Preliminary data for the first ten months of 2024 indicates that the trend of decreasing deaths may continue, with projections suggesting around 13,000 fewer deaths. However, the CDC’s Robert Anderson cautioned that this estimate may change as additional death certificates are processed.
As a result, life expectancy for 2024 is expected to increase, though perhaps not significantly, according to Anderson, who is responsible for death statistics at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Life expectancy is defined as the average number of years a new baby is anticipated to live based on the current death rates, serving as a crucial indicator of a population’s overall health.
Historically, U.S. life expectancy has shown a steady rise due to medical advancements and public health initiatives, peaking in 2014 at nearly 79 years. It maintained a relatively stable rate for several years before experiencing a decline amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping to slightly below 76.5 years in 2021.
Since then, it has gradually increased to 77.5 years in 2022 and nearly 78.5 years last year. Female life expectancy continues to exceed that of males, measuring a little over 81 years for women as opposed to just under 76 years for men.
Over the last five years, more than 1.2 million deaths in the U.S. have been linked to COVID-19, with the majority occurring in 2020 and 2021 before vaccination and immunity became prevalent. While the virus was previously the third leading cause of death, it accounted for nearly 50,000 deaths last year, making it the tenth leading cause of death in the nation.
Current data for 2024 is still being compiled, with about 30,000 COVID-19 related deaths recorded thus far. Anderson mentioned that, at this rate, suicides may surpass COVID-19 as a leading cause of death this year.
Heart disease remains the most prominent cause of death in the nation, but it is encouraging to note that the death rate from heart disease dropped by approximately 3% in 2023. Although this reduction is smaller compared to the 73% decrease in COVID-19 deaths, heart disease impacts a larger population, making every slight reduction significant.
Moreover, there is positive news regarding drug overdoses, which fell to 105,000 in 2023 among U.S. citizens, as reported in a separate CDC study released on the same day.
The reasons behind the reduction in overdose deaths are currently under examination; however, experts remain optimistic about the potential for future declines. Some experts referenced recent survey results indicating that drug use among teenagers is not on the rise.
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, emphasized the importance of preventing new drug users to reduce overdoses, stating: “If you can reduce the pipeline (of new drug users)… you can prevent overdoses.”
