Curious about how long will you potentially live in this world?
Life expectancy or the average number of years people are expected to live from birth may vary based on genetics, socioeconomic condition, lifestyle choices, access to healthcare, and other factors.
Data shows the life expectancy for women is higher than for men.
On average, women’s life expectancy is around 75 years old, while men’s is at 70.
The average lifespan for a particular demographic group or population also varies.
Do you want to know the average US life expectancy statistics by gender, ethnicity & state? Let’s find out in this resource.
Key Statistics
- The average US life expectancy at birth declined from 77 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021, equivalent to 0.9 years difference.
- The Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) population’s life expectancy has dropped from 2019 to 2021 by 6.6 years.
- Non-Hispanic White Americans tend to live longer than Non-Hispanic Black Americans.
- According to the CIA, America is in the 48th spot in life expectancy worldwide, with a life expectancy of 80.75 years.
- The US life expectancy for females is longer than for males by 5.9 years.
- People in Hawaii have a life expectancy of nearly 81 years.
- Hispanic life expectancy was 77.7 years old in 2021, dropping from almost 82 years old two years ago.
- The decline in life expectancy from 2019 to 2021 was mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Average US Life Expectancy Statistics by Gender, Ethnicity & State
1. US Life Expectancy at Birth Reached its Lowest Level Since 1996, Declining to 76.1 years in 2021
In the United States, life expectancy has been increasing over time.
In 1900, the average number of years an American could live was around 47 years, while in 1950, it increased to 68 years.
By 2019, it reached nearly 79 years old. However, the average US life expectancy at birth declined in the following years.
In 2020, it dropped to 77 years and fell more in 2021 to 76.1 years, reaching the lowest level since 1996.
The decline from 2020 to 2021 was mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The global pandemic caused more people to die, especially older people with health issues.
(Harvard Health Publishing and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics)
2. Increases in Deaths between 2019 and 2021 Led to a Decrease in Life Expectancy, Declining by 6.6 Years for the American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) People
The Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) population’s life expectancy has declined from 2019 to 2021 by 6.6 years.
In 2019, Non-Hispanic AIAN people had a life expectancy of 71.8 years. However, it dropped to 67.1 years the following year and reached 65.2 years in 2021.
There were more deaths than expected between these years, and this had a significant impact on the life expectancy of the population.
(CDC’s Vital Statistics Surveillance Report)
3. Life Expectancy for the Non-Hispanic White Americans is Longer Than that of Non-Hispanic Black Americans
Reports reveal that Non-Hispanic White Americans (NHW) tend to live longer than Non-Hispanic Black Americans (NHB) because the life expectancy of NHW is 76.4 years old, while NHB is 70.8 years old.
The life expectancy of female NHWs in 2021 was 79.2 years, and male NHWs was 73.7 years.
Meanwhile, the life expectancy of female NHBs in the same year was 74.8 years, and male NHBs was 66.7 years.
(Harvard Health Publishing and CDC’s Vital Statistics Surveillance Report)
4. America is Ranked 48th out of 227 Countries in Life Expectancy Worldwide, at 80.75 Years
Based on the life expectancy worldwide in CIA’s World Factbook, America is in the 48th spot out of 227 countries.
The life expectancy at birth in the US is 80.75 years old.
Monaco ranks first, with a life expectancy of 89.64 years.
Singapore follows, with 86.51 years, Macau, with 85.16 years, and Japan, with 85 years.
(CIA.gov)
5. Life Expectancy at Birth for Females Declined from 79.9 Years to 79.1 Years. For Males, it Declined from 74.2 Years to 73.2 Years.
In 2021, the US life expectancy at birth was 76.1 years old.
The expected years to live for females in the US was 79.1 years, declining from 79.9 the previous year.
Similarly, the life expectancy for males was 73.2 years in 2021, down from 74.2 the previous year.
This means the US life expectancy at birth for females is longer than for males by 5.9 years.
(CDC’s Vital Statistics Surveillance Report)
6. People in Hawaii Live Longer Than People In Any Other State in the US, at 80.7 Years
It is believed that the healthiest states in the US have the highest life expectancies.
According to some reports, people in Hawaii live longer than people in other states in the US.
The life expectancy in Hawaii was 80.7 years.
While people in Mississippi live the shortest lives in the country, at 71.9 years.
Here is the list of the states with the highest life expectancy:
- People in Hawaii have a life expectancy of 80.7 years
- People in Washington have a life expectancy of 79.2 years
- People in Minnesota have a life expectancy of 79.1 years
- People in California have a life expectancy of 79 years
- People in Massachusetts have a life expectancy of 79 years
- People in New Hampshire have a life expectancy of 79 years
(World Population Review and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics)
7. Life Expectancy for the Hispanic Population in the US in 2021 was 77.7 Years
Similar to other races and ethnicities in the US, the life expectancy for the Hispanic population in the country declines from 2019 to 2021, mainly because of COVID-19.
On average, Hispanic life expectancy was 77.7 years old in 2021, down from 81.9 years in 2019 and 77.9 years in 2020.
Meanwhile, the life expectancy of the Asian population in the US was 83.5 years old, dropping from 85.6 years in 2019.
(CDC’s Vital Statistics Surveillance Report)
8. Deaths Caused by COVID-19 Contributed to 74% of the Decline in Life Expectancy from 2019 to 2020, Equivalent to Nearly Three out of Four.
The decline in life expectancy worldwide from 2019 to 2021 was mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
74% of the decline from 2019 to 2020, equivalent to nearly three out of four, and 50% of the decline from the following year, was due to COVID-19 deaths.
Other causes of death that reduce life expectancy are heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, stroke, and suicide.
(CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics)
Conclusion
The average number of years to live may differ per person because of various factors like gender, ethnicity, and state of residence.
Life expectancy also varies depending on lifestyle choices, environmental factors, socioeconomic conditions, and levels of healthcare infrastructure.
Knowing the average US life expectancy statistics by gender, ethnicity & state is important for identifying health disparities, addressing health inequalities, and allocating healthcare resources effectively.