Life expectancy, a fundamental measure of a population’s health, is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live, given death rates at that time. For decades, U.S. life expectancy rose at least a little bit almost every year, thanks to medical advances and public health measures. In 2021, life expectancy fell to just under 76 1/2 years. In 2024, about 3.07 million U.S. residents died, about 18,000 fewer than the year before. Deaths from unintentional injuries — a category that includes drug overdoses — fell the most, dropping more than 14% in 2024.

Source: ABC News January 29, 2026 12:42 UTC