US Life Expectancy Reaches All-Time High in 2024

CDC reports continued decline in deaths from top killers like heart disease and drug overdoses

Jan. 29, 2026 at 7:15pm

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years in 2024, the highest mark in American history. This is the result of not only the dissipation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also waning death rates from the nation's top killers, including heart disease, cancer, and drug overdoses. Preliminary statistics suggest a continued improvement in 2025 as well.

Why it matters

The increase in life expectancy is a significant milestone for public health in the U.S., reflecting progress in combating major health threats like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis. However, the U.S. still lags behind dozens of other countries in life expectancy, indicating there is more work to be done to improve overall population health.

The details

According to the data, about 3.07 million U.S. residents died in 2024, around 18,000 fewer than the previous year. Death rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, and in both men and women. Heart disease remained the leading cause of death, but the death rate dropped by about 3% for the second year in a row. Deaths from unintentional injuries, including drug overdoses, fell the most, dropping more than 14% in 2024. COVID-19, which was the nation's third leading cause of death just a few years ago, dropped out of the top 10 causes in 2024.

  • U.S. life expectancy peaked in 2014 at just shy of 79 years.
  • Life expectancy fell to just under 76 1/2 years in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In 2024, U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years, the highest mark in American history.
  • Preliminary data suggests a continued improvement in 2025, with around 3.05 million deaths recorded.

The players

Robert Anderson

Chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Andrew Stokes

Researcher at Boston University who studies life expectancy trends.

Dr. Sadiya Khan

Cardiologist and researcher at Northwestern University who studies heart disease.

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What they’re saying

“It's pretty much good news all the way around.”

— Robert Anderson, Chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (theday.com)

“There's a lot more to be done.”

— Andrew Stokes, Researcher at Boston University (theday.com)

What’s next

The CDC plans to release finalized death statistics for 2025 in the coming months, which are expected to show a continued improvement in life expectancy.

The takeaway

The rise in U.S. life expectancy to a record high in 2024 is a significant public health achievement, reflecting progress in combating major health threats like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis. However, the U.S. still lags behind many other developed countries, underscoring the need for further improvements in population health.