Before we ask why it’s happening, we should probably find out if life expectancy is declining in the US.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics produces annual reports with their findings about average life expectancy in the US, and the last two years have shed light on a startling trend.
Let’s set the scene:
Life expectancy has been on the rise for well over a century. From 1900 to 2019, the average life expectancy in the US gradually increased, peaking at just a hair over 79 years in 2019.
However, the two years spanning the beginning of 2020 and the end of 2021 saw the average US life expectancy take a hair-raising drop to 77 years in 2020 and 76 years in 2021.
So, in that short period between 2019 and 2021, total average life expectancy in the US plummeted a staggering 2.7 years – the most significant dip in nearly 100 years.
Now, that drop may not come as a surprise, with some more apparent factors immediately coming to mind. After all, Covid-19 was downgraded from a national public health emergency to a public health priority as recently as May 11 of this year.
It may be trite to bring the Covid-19 pandemic back into the spotlight here, but it was undoubtedly a significant factor in the sharp drop in average life expectancy.
Not only did scores of Americans pass away directly from Covid, but the virus had other insidious ripple effects that attacked our collective mental health and financial security, exacerbating latent issues within vulnerable populations.
What Does the Life Expectancy Trend Look Like Over the Last 20 Years?
Let’s put this sharp, 2.7-year drop into perspective:
Life expectancy was 76.1 years in 1996, nearly 27 years ago. And while life expectancy’s progress up until 2020 isn’t completely erased (barring another international health emergency shortly), it certainly elicits many pressing questions and concerns about the strength of our society’s institutions.
“This isn’t supposed to happen,” says Philip Cohen, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, who studies demographic trends and inequality. “I think it’s a wake-up call for us … that we can’t put public health on autopilot; that we don’t have this invisible hand of development just raising living standards over time.”
What Are the Top Causes of Death in the US?
The National Center for Health Statistics outlines the top causes of death in their report, Mortality in the United States 2021, as follows:
- Heart disease: 695,547
- Cancer: 605,213
- COVID-19: 416,893
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 224,935
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,890
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,342
- Alzheimer’s disease: 119,399
- Diabetes: 103,294
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: 56,585
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 54,358
Note that ‘unintentional injuries primarily consist of drug overdoses. Also, it’s well worth mentioning that the above figures for chronic lung disease, pneumonia, influenza, and Alzheimer’s disease fell from their 2020 levels. The decreases in deaths caused by the above factors help buffer the plunging average life expectancy and instill hope that the years following Covid-19 will rebound.
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, aptly summarizes the life expectancy crossroads we collectively confront in his piece Why Life Expectancy in the US is Falling, stating that “we can all vow to exercise more, choose a healthier diet, and work harder to be healthy as best we can. But public health and political leaders also have important roles, particularly for marginalized, disadvantaged citizens.”
Lifestyle choices that promote health and longevity are feasible for many, but that doesn’t paint a complete picture of the life expectancy problem. Public policy and political cooperation are vital in ensuring that disadvantaged, vulnerable US populations collectively raise their life expectancy to match or exceed the national average.
How Have Covid-19 and Drug Overdoses Affected the Average Life Expectancy?
We still don’t fully understand the lasting impacts of Covid-19’s disastrous fallout. Still, there is undoubtedly a correlation between the chaos and isolation brought about by the pandemic and the sharp increase in overdoses, unintentional injuries, suicide, and deaths caused by lack of access to essential services or healthy lifestyles.
For example, this study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on opioid overdose deaths focused on Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, and found that the pandemic and its associated lockdown policies significantly contributed to a rise in monthly overdose deaths in that area.
Also, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most severe overdose impacts were felt in the poverty-stricken, urban areas of Milwaukee Country, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic populations.
While new studies and are emerging daily, it’s generally no secret that large-scale isolation and financial insecurity during an international health emergency will create the conditions for heightened drug use and unintentional injuries.
Read about Dr. Bruce Hoffman’s Covid-19 prevention recommendations.
Are you ready to lean into life expectancy?
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So, try our calculator the next time you’re curious about how long you might live. We promise it’s more empowering than unsettling.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more posts on life expectancy and its many interesting rabbit holes.
