Life expectancy in the United States reached a record high in 2024, signalling a strong recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic as deaths declined across major causes such as heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses.
Life expectancy at birth in the United States rose to 79 years in 2024, the highest level ever recorded, marking a strong rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data cited by news agency AP.
The rise reflects not only the fading impact of Covid-19 but also falling death rates from major causes such as heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses. Preliminary figures also suggest further 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the 2024 data on Thursday.
What life expectancy measures
Life expectancy is a core indicator of population health and estimates the average number of years a baby born in a given year can expect to live, based on death rates at that time.
For decades, life expectancy in the US increased almost every year due to medical advances and public health measures, peaking just short of 79 years in 2014. It then remained largely flat before plunging during the pandemic, which killed more than 1.2 million Americans.
In 2021, life expectancy fell to just under 76 and a half years before beginning its recovery.
Pandemic losses reversed, but challenges remain
The latest figures point to a full reversal of pandemic-era losses and sustained progress in reducing drug overdose deaths, said Andrew Stokes, a researcher at Boston University. However, he noted that the US continues to lag behind dozens of other countries.
“There’s a lot more to be done,” Stokes said.
Fewer deaths across groups
In 2024, about 3.07 million people died in the US, around 18,000 fewer than the previous year. Death rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, and among both men and women.
Heart disease remained the leading cause of death, but the death rate fell by about 3 percent for the second year in a row. Advances in medical treatment and weight management likely played a role, said Dr Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University.
Sharp drop in overdoses, Covid exits top 10
Deaths from unintentional injuries, a category that includes drug overdoses, recorded the steepest decline, falling by more than 14 percent. Covid-19, which was once the third leading cause of death, dropped out of the top 10 in 2024.
As a result, suicide moved into the top 10 causes of death, even though suicide deaths declined that year. Homicides also fell, the report said.
Early signs from 2025 data
Final death figures for 2025 are not yet available, but preliminary data suggest around 3.05 million deaths so far. While that number may increase as more records are processed, Anderson said 2025 is expected to show at least a slight improvement over 2024.
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