U.S. Life Expectancy Rose Significantly Last Year
Life Expectancy Hits Highest Level Since Covid Pandemic
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. life expectancy rose last year, hitting its highest level since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. The report found that life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years in 2023, a significant rise of nearly a full year from the life expectancy of 77.5 years in 2022.
Unprecedented Increase
“The increase we had this year — the 0.9 year — that’s unheard of prior to the pandemic,” said Ken Kochanek, a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics who co-authored the report. “Life expectancy in the United States never goes up or down any more than one- or two-tenths. But then when Covid happened, you had this gigantic drop, and now we have a gigantic drop in Covid. So, you have this gigantic increase in life expectancy.”
Covid Deaths Fall Significantly
From 2019 to 2021, U.S. life expectancy dropped from 78.8 years to 76.4. However, Covid deaths fell significantly last year: whereas Covid was the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, it was the 10th in 2023, according to the new report. Last year, Covid was the underlying or contributing cause of more than 76,000 deaths, compared with more than 350,000 such deaths in 2020.
Chart: Life Expectancy Over Time
New Findings
The new findings are based on an analysis of death certificates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The results showed that the overall death rate for the U.S. population decreased by 6%. Kochanek noted, however, that the decrease in Covid deaths does not mean the virus’s threat is gone.
Top Causes of Death
According to the new report, the top five causes of death in the U.S. last year were heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Death rates fell for nine of the top 10 causes in 2023, while the rate of cancer deaths remained fairly unchanged.
Drug Overdose Deaths Decrease
The injuries category includes drug overdoses, which are the leading cause of injury mortality in the U.S., according to the CDC. A second CDC report released Thursday found that drug overdose deaths decreased last year for the first time since 2018. In 2023, the rate of overdose deaths was around 31.3 out of every 100,000 people, compared with 32.6 in 2022.
Conclusion
The new findings suggest that the U.S. life expectancy is on the rise, with a significant increase of nearly a full year from the previous year. While the decrease in Covid deaths is a positive trend, it is essential to continue monitoring the virus’s impact and taking steps to prevent its spread. The CDC’s analysis of death rates by race, ethnicity, and gender highlights the need for targeted interventions to address health disparities.
FAQs
Q: What was the life expectancy at birth in 2023?
A: 78.4 years
Q: How did life expectancy change from 2022 to 2023?
A: It increased by nearly a full year, from 77.5 years to 78.4 years.
Q: What was the leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023?
A: Heart disease
Q: Did drug overdose deaths decrease in 2023?
A: Yes, for the first time since 2018.
Q: What was the rate of overdose deaths in 2023?
A: Around 31.3 out of every 100,000 people.
