Life expectancy in the United States has risen significantly, reaching 78.4 years in 2023, its highest level since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Thursday. This marks an increase of nearly a full year from the life expectancy of 77.5 years recorded in 2022.
Ken Kochanek, a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics and co-author of the report, highlighted the unprecedented nature of this rise. “The increase we had this year — the 0.9 year — that’s unheard of prior to the pandemic,” he said. “Life expectancy in the United States never goes up or down any more than one- or two-tenths. But then when Covid happened, you had this gigantic drop, and now we have a gigantic drop in Covid. So, you have this gigantic increase in life expectancy.”
The Impact of Falling Covid-19 Deaths
One of the major contributors to this rise is the significant decrease in Covid-19-related deaths. In 2023, Covid dropped from the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. to the tenth. According to an August CDC report, Covid was the underlying or contributing cause of over 76,000 deaths in 2023, compared to more than 350,000 in 2020.
Despite this improvement, Kochanek urged caution, stating that the virus’s threat has not disappeared entirely. “It’s not going to disappear completely,” he noted, adding that it remains unclear whether Covid-related deaths will continue to decline before stabilizing at a predictable annual rate.
Broader Trends in Mortality
The report, based on death certificates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., revealed that the overall death rate for the U.S. population decreased by 6% in 2023. Death rates fell for nine of the top 10 leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. However, cancer death rates remained largely unchanged.
Drug overdose deaths also saw a notable decline for the first time since 2018, dropping from 32.6 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 31.3 in 2023. The most significant decrease—over 10%—was among individuals aged 15 to 24. Overdose deaths involving opioids decreased by 17%, while deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine showed slight increases.
Uneven Gains Across Demographics
The report also highlighted disparities in the decline of death rates among different racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Relative to white individuals, greater decreases were observed among Black, Asian, and Hispanic populations, as well as among American Indian and Alaska Native people. Hispanic men and women experienced declines of 10.5% and 8%, respectively, while death rates among American Indian and Alaska Native men and women dropped by 13.5% and 11.5%, respectively.
Kochanek attributed these variations to Covid-19’s disproportionate impact on minority groups in previous years. “A lot of those groups had higher mortality in the last few years because of Covid, so they’re starting at a higher plateau,” he explained.
A Reflection on Catholic Values
As Catholics, we are reminded to value life as a gift from God and to work tirelessly to protect it. The sharp drop in Covid deaths and the overall increase in life expectancy are signs of progress, but they also call us to continue advocating for health care equity and support for the vulnerable. Kochanek’s hopeful reflection on the data resonates with our faith’s call to care for one another: “We can only hope that it continues.”
This hopeful trend challenges us to respond with gratitude and action, ensuring that advances in public health reach all people, particularly those marginalized or underserved. As Pope Francis reminds us, “The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.” Let us embrace this opportunity to build a society that truly reflects the dignity of every human life.
