Jan. 29 (UPI) — The average life expectancy in the United States hit a record high of 79 in 2024, a report from the Centers for Disease Control said Thursday.
The average 79-year mark is an increase of more than a half year over 2023. The National Center for Health Statistics “Mortality in the United States, 2024” report found that the age-adjusted death rate decreased by about 3.8%.
There were more than 3 million deaths registered in the United States in 2024, totaling 18,298 fewer than in 2023.
The increase in life expectancy was greater for males than for females, up 0.2 compared to 0.1. The average life expectancy for a female born in 2024 is 81.4 and for a male it is 76.5.
Average life expectancies also increased for every race and ethnicity recorded.
The uptick in average life expectancy in the United States still lags behind many other developed countries post-pandemic, including Australia, Spain and Japan which have average life expectancies of 80 years or more.
COVID-19 as a cause of death fell out of the top 10 causes of death, replaced by suicide. The top three causes of death remain heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries. The age-adjusted death rates for those top-three causes all decreased in 2024 compared to 2023.
Deaths related to drug overdoses also declined.
Death rates specific to age decreased in all age groups for 1-year-olds and older, aside from the 5-14 age group.