US life expectancy at its lowest in 25 years
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control, Covid-19 and drug overdoses caused life expectancy in the US to decline for a second consecutive year, reaching its lowest level in 25 years.
American life expectancy is projected to be 76.4 years in 2021, down from a peak of 78.8 years in 2019. It also demonstrates that among countries with significant economies, the US continues to be last.
The biggest cause of mortality is still heart disease, which is followed by cancer and COVID. Two studies from the CDC, one on mortality in the US for 2021 and the other on drug fatalities in the US from 2001 to 2021, provide details on the statistics.
The final statistics support the preliminary ones made public by the CDC in August, when the health organisation forecast the worst two-year decrease in US life expectancy since 1923.
“The declines in life expectancy since 2019 are largely driven by the pandemic,” the agency said in an August news release.
“Covid-19 deaths contributed to nearly three-fourths, or 74%, of the decline from 2019 to 2020, and 50% of the decline from 2020 to 2021.”
Deaths from drug overdoses are another factor. According to the data, they now make up over a third of all unintentional deaths in the US. Overdose deaths have increased overall by 16% since 2020.
This includes fentanyl-related fatalities, which rose by 22% in 2021.
The average life expectancy in the UK is 80.8 years, however it is still lower in the US. As of 2020, the life expectancy in the neighbouring country of Canada was 81.75 years.
The US spends the most money on the healthcare of the two nations. The US spends $12,318 (£10,217) per person, compared to the UK’s $5,387. In contrast, Canadians spend $5,511 per person on healthcare.
