US life expectancy has risen significantly, reaching its highest level since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2023. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years, up nearly a full year from 77.5 years in 2022.
The increase is attributed to a significant drop in Covid deaths, which fell from being the fourth leading cause of death in 2022 to the 10th in 2023. In 2020, Covid was responsible for over 350,000 deaths, but last year it accounted for more than 76,000 deaths.
The CDC also found that overall US death rates decreased by 6%. The top five causes of death 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 cancer deaths remained relatively unchanged.
Notably, overdose deaths decreased last year, with a 17% drop in deaths associated with opioids. However, cocaine and psychostimulant-related overdose deaths increased slightly.
The CDC analyzed death rates by race, ethnicity, and gender and found that declines were not even across groups. Racial and ethnic minority groups experienced higher decreases in death rates than white people, largely due to changes in Covid mortality rates.
Life expectancy is expected to continue increasing, but its trajectory is uncertain. As CDC statistician Ken Kochanek noted, “We can only hope that it continues.”
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-life-expectancy-rose-significantly-070100504.html