US Life Expectancy Tops Pre-Pandemic Levels for the First Time
New CDC data show babies born in 2024 could expect to live to age 79, surpassing pre-pandemic figures as COVID-19 deaths continued to fall.
American at birth surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2024, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. Babies born in 2024 could expect to live to age 79, the data show.
That figure is up 0.6 years from 2023 and 0.2 years above 2019, the last year before COVID-19 began sharply cutting life expectancy in the United States.
A decline in COVID-19 deaths played a major role in the rise from 2023 to 2024. Falling deaths from unintentional injuries made the biggest additional contribution, followed by decreases in deaths from heart disease, cancer and homicide.
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