Life expectancy in the United States saw an upturn in 2022 due to declines in death rates from Covid-19 and other primary causes of death. However, there was an increase in child mortality and drug overdoses that led to a record number of deaths.
According to a recent CDC report, U.S. life expectancy rose for the first time in two years. The life expectancy report for 2021, which dropped from 77.5 years to 76.4 years, marked the lowest point since 1996. Despite the improvement in 2022, life expectancy has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, which were at 78.8 years in 2019.
Although Covid-19 no longer ranks among the top three leading causes of death, it remains a significant factor, claiming over 6% of all deaths in the U.S. in 2022. The latest CDC data reveals that heart disease maintained its position as the primary cause of death in the U.S., followed by cancer.
Experts are concerned about the rising death rate among children, despite an overall decline. The death rate for children aged 1 to 4 saw a 12% increase between 2021 and 2022, while children aged 5 to 14 experienced a 7% rise year-over-year, according to the latest CDC data. Common causes of infant death include low birth weight, congenital malformations, and sudden infant death syndrome.
In 2022, accidents, or unintentional injuries, ranked as the third leading cause of death in the US. Drug overdoses contributed significantly to these deaths, with the drug epidemic's severe impact persisting into 2022, resulting in more deaths than any previous year.
Deaths from drug overdoses involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl rose by 4.1% between 2021 and 2022, while rates for heroin and methadone decreased. Rates for cocaine and psychostimulants with abuse potential such as methamphetamine increased. Overdose deaths were most prevalent among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, followed by Black individuals and then white individuals according to the report.
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