"U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years in 2024 the highest mark in American history. It's the result of not only the dissipation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also waning death rates from all the nation's top killers, including heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses. What's more, preliminary statistics suggest a continued improvement in 2025. It's pretty much good news all the way around, said Robert Anderson, of the National Center for Health Statistics at the"
"Life expectancy, a fundamental measure of a population's health, is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live, given death rates at that time. For decades, U.S. life expectancy rose at least a little bit almost every year, thanks to medical advances and public health measures. It peaked in 2014, just shy of 79 years. It was relatively flat for several years before plunging as the COVID-19 pandemic killed more than 1.2 million Americans."
"In 2024, about 3.07 million U.S. residents died, about 18,000 fewer than the year before. Death rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, and in both men and women. Heart disease remained the nation's leading cause of death, but the death rate due to it dropped by about 3% for the second year in a row. A combination of factors are likely at play, including advances in medical treatments and weight management, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, who treats and studies heart disease at Northwestern"
U.S. life expectancy increased to 79 years in 2024, marking the highest level in history and reflecting declines in COVID-19 fatalities and deaths from major conditions. Total deaths in 2024 were about 3.07 million, roughly 18,000 fewer than the prior year, with mortality falling across racial and ethnic groups and in both sexes. Heart disease remained the leading cause but its death rate fell about 3% for a second consecutive year. Improvements also appeared in cancer and drug overdose mortality. Preliminary 2025 data suggest continued gains, though the U.S. still lags many other countries.
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