US Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth in years
“American health outcomes stagnated as economic conditions deteriorated after 1971.”
US life expectancy rose from 68.2 years in 1950 to 78.9 in 2014, then stagnated and declined to 76.4 in 2021 before recovering to 78.4 in 2023. The recent decline is driven by the opioid epidemic, 'deaths of despair,' obesity, COVID-19, and uniquely American healthcare access problems.
Perspectives
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Specific health crises, not economic structure, drive the recent decline
Life expectancy gains continued for decades after 1971. The post-2014 decline is driven by the opioid epidemic, obesity, healthcare access gaps, and COVID-19.
There is a plausible indirect connection: economic distress in deindustrialized communities contributed to 'deaths of despair.' But the direct causes are well-documented: Purdue Pharma's marketing of OxyContin, inadequate mental health infrastructure, food system failures driving obesity, and pandemic unpreparedness.
Causal Factors
Opioid epidemic & deaths of despair
30%Drug overdose deaths rose from ~17,000 in 1999 to over 100,000 in 2022. Combined with suicide and alcohol-related deaths, 'deaths of despair' reduced life expectancy.
Healthcare access & cost barriers
25%27 million Americans remain uninsured. Even insured Americans face high deductibles and copays that delay care. The US has fewer doctors per capita than most OECD nations.
Obesity & metabolic disease
20%Adult obesity rose from 15% in 1970 to 42% in 2020, driving diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions that reduce life expectancy.
COVID-19 pandemic
15%COVID-19 caused ~1.2 million deaths in the US, reducing life expectancy by 2.4 years from 2019-2021, the steepest decline since WWII.
Gun violence & homicide
10%The US has a firearm death rate 25x higher than other high-income nations, with over 48,000 gun deaths annually, disproportionately affecting younger Americans.
Data Source
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics Reports
View original dataLast updated: 2025-07
Key Events
Medicare & Medicaid
Government healthcare programs expand access for elderly and poor, accelerating life expectancy gains
AIDS epidemic peak
HIV/AIDS causes slight stagnation in life expectancy gains
Pre-opioid peak
US life expectancy peaks at 78.9 before opioid crisis and other factors cause decline
Opioid emergency declared
Drug overdose deaths exceed 70,000/year, driving life expectancy down
COVID nadir
COVID-19 pushes life expectancy to lowest point since 1996