HEALTH
US Life Expectancy Rose In 2022, But Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
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U.S. life expectancy rose slightly in 2022, but still remained below pre-pandemic levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said the life expectancy for an American born in 2022 was 77.5 years, up from 76.4 years in 2021, but still only about the same as the life expectancy was 20 years ago.
While life expectancy has mostly trended upward for decades, it stalled over the past decade largely due to a combination of an explosion in overdose deaths and suicides. Life expectancy dropped sharply with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more than 1.1 million Americans have died since 2020 as a result.
Life expectancy was 78 years and 10 months in 2019, and plunged to 77 years in 2020 and 76.4 years in 2021. In 2021, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. In 2022, it dropped to fourth, below unintentional injuries, which includes overdose deaths.
As suicides and overdose deaths continue to increase in the U.S., overall life expectancy continues to lag behind numerous other countries, many of which saw more significant rebounds after the initial drop caused by COVID-19.
TMX contributed to this article.
