U.S. Life Expectancy Increases But Still Lags Behind Other Wealthy Countries

Despite a 1.1 year increase from 2021 to 2022, U.S. life expectancy remains at levels seen two decades ago, highlighting ongoing public health crisis.

• U.S. life expectancy increased by 1.1 years from 2021 to 2022, largely due to decreases in mortality from Covid-19.
• Despite the increase, U.S. life expectancy in 2022 is still 1.3 years lower than in 2019 and on par with levels two decades ago.
• The U.S. lags behind other wealthy countries in life expectancy, with a slower rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.
• There is a widening gender gap in life expectancy, with men's life expectancy now at 73 and women's at 79, the largest difference since 1996.
• Public health spending in the U.S. is projected to decline to 2.40% in 2023, despite the ongoing public health crisis.

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