Life expectancy in the United States increased by slightly more than a full year, standing at 77.5 years. However, this increase does not fully offset the loss of 2.4 years between 2019 and 2021, largely attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals.
The report detailed that during the year 2022, men managed to recover 1.3 years of the 2.8 years lost previously. In contrast, women experienced a more moderate recovery, gaining 0.9 years compared to the increase of 2.1 years they had recorded between 2019 and 2021.
Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for 2022 by Williams Perdomo on Scribd
"In 2022, life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years, increasing by 1.1 years from 76.4 in 2021. Life expectancy at birth for males in 2022 was 74.8 years, representing an increase of 1.3 years from 73.5 in 2021. For females, life expectancy increased to 80.2 years, increasing 0.9 year from 79.3 in 2021," the CDC explained.
This increase of 1.1 year in life expectancy from 2021 to 2022 is mainly attributed to the decrease in mortality from various causes, including the decrease in deaths from COVID-19 by 84.2%, heart diseases (3.6%), unintentional injuries (2.6%), cancer (2.2%) and homicide (1.5%).
The CDC notes that in 2022, the age-adjusted death rate due to Covid-19 decreased by 47% compared to the previous year. While the majority of Covid-19 deaths were recorded in hospital settings, an increasing proportion occurred in the homes of the deceased, as well as in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
Life expectancy is considered a fundamental indicator that estimates how many years a person is expected to live at birth on average, assuming current mortality rates remain constant throughout their life.
