American life expectancy sets new record

Life expectancy in the US has never been as robust as among other advanced countries. Then it seemed to top out in 2014 while it continued to rise elsewhere. Longevity dropped everywhere during the pandemic – but most dramatically in the US.

The good news is that US life expectancy at birth is rising again. It hit a new record at 79 years in 2024, and early data show that it continued to rise in 2025. Death rates fell across the board – for every racial and ethnic group and for both men and women.

Some of the biggest reasons were behavioral. Deaths from drug overdoses (especially opioids), suicide, murder, and traffic accidents have all been declining. Many other major killers, such as heart disease, have become less deadly as well.

While the US is not yet catching up to its peer nations, it has finally rejoined them on the upward arc of this over-arching indicator of a nation’s health.

Sources: CDC, AP, OurWorldinData