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US life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years in 2020, mostly due to COVID-19

Largest drop since world war II, mainly affecting Black and Hispanic Americans

21-Jul-2021

Key points from article :

U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for almost 74% of the overall life expectancy decline.

Drug overdoses pushed life expectancy down, particularly for Whites.

"Rising homicides were a small but significant reason for the decline for Black Americans," - Elizabeth Arias, the report's lead author.

Hispanic Americans had the largest decline.

Life expectancy drop in various groups, was reported as follows: Blacks, 3 years; Whites, 14 months; men, 2 years; women, 1 year.

Coronavirus was responsible for 90% of the decline among Hispanics, 68% among white people and 59% among Black Americans.

The CDC estimated life expectancy of 74 years, 6 months for boys vs. 80 years, 2 months for girls.

More than 80% of last year's COVID deaths were people 65 and older.

Experts said, it could take years for life expectancy to bounce back after this drop.

Mentioned in this article:

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National public health institute of the United States.

Elizabeth Arias

Statistical Analysis and Research Team leader at National Center for Health Statistics

Topics mentioned on this page:
Life Expectancy, Coronavirus