Life expectancy rises in United States due to waning COVID-19 pandemic

US Life Expectancy Rose in 2022, but Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that U.S. life expectancy increased by over a year in 2022, owing largely to the waning impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even with this significant rise, life expectancy in the U.S. stands at 77 years, 6 months, which is similar to levels seen two decades ago.

Life expectancy is a crucial measure of the health of a population, representing the average number of years a baby born in a given year can expect to live. The 2022 estimates, released by the CDC, are provisional and subject to slight changes as data is finalized.

For many years, U.S. life expectancy experienced gradual increases, but this trend flattened and even declined at times about a decade ago, largely due to overdose deaths and suicides. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further impacted life expectancy, with the measure dropping from 78 years, 10 months in 2019 to 76 years, 5 months in 2021.

It has been noted that the decline in COVID-19 deaths drove the improvement in life expectancy in 2022. The virus, initially the third leading cause of death in 2021, fell to the fourth leading cause in 2022. Preliminary data suggests that COVID-19 could end up being the ninth or tenth leading cause of death in 2023.

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, the U.S. continues to face challenges from drug overdose deaths and suicides. The number of suicides reached an all-time high in 2021, while drug overdose deaths increased slightly last year after significant jumps at the beginning of the pandemic.

The U.S. has also lagged behind other countries in rebounding life expectancy, taking longer for improvements compared to countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. Experts anticipate the U.S. eventually returning to pre-pandemic life expectancy levels, but caution that this is not an ideal situation.

Historically, life expectancy in the U.S. has been on an upward trajectory for many decades, but the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant setback, erasing gains made over the past 20 years.

Notably, life expectancy increased for both men and women, as well as for every racial and ethnic group. The decline in COVID-19 deaths was the primary driver of the increase, followed by a decrease in heart disease deaths. However, it is important to acknowledge that heart disease deaths increased during the pandemic, contributing to the rise in overall mortality.

Furthermore, changes in life expectancy varied by race and ethnicity, with Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives experiencing the most substantial rises in 2022, albeit from lower levels due to more severe impacts from COVID-19 in previous years.

While the increase in life expectancy is a positive development, it is crucial for the U.S. to address and mitigate the ongoing challenges from drug overdoses, suicides, and lingering effects of the pandemic in order to restore and surpass previous levels of life expectancy.