In 2021, a woman in the United States aged 65 years could expect to live another 19.7 years on average. This number decreased in the years 2020 and 2021, after reaching a high of 20.8 years in 2019. Nevertheless, the life expectancy of a woman aged 65 years in the United States is still higher than that of a man of that age. In 2021, a man aged 65 years could be expected to live another 17 years on average.

Why has the life expectancy in the U.S. declined? Overall, life expectancy in the United States has declined in recent years. In 2019, the life expectancy for U.S. women was 81.4 years, but by 2021 it had decreased to 79.3 years. Likewise, the life expectancy for men decreased from 76.3 years to 73.5 years in the same period. The biggest contributors to this decline in life expectancy are the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic. Although deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have decreased significantly since 2022, deaths from opioid overdose continue to increase, reaching all-time highs in 2021.

The leading causes of death among U.S. women The leading causes of death among women in the United States in 2020 were heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. That year heart disease and cancer accounted for a combined 37 percent of all deaths among women, while around 10 percent of deaths were due to COVID-19. The overall leading causes of death in the United States generally reflect the leading causes among women with some slight variations. For example, Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death among women, but the seventh leading cause of death overall in the United States.

The life expectancy of women at birth in the United States saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 81.1 years. However, 2023 marked the second consecutive increase of the life expectancy. Life expectancy at birth refers to the number of years that the average newborn can expect to live, providing that mortality patterns at the time of their birth do not change thereafter.Find more statistics on other topics about the United States with key insights such as infant mortality rate, total life expectancy at birth, and total fertility rate.

In the United States in 2021, the death rate was highest among those aged 85 and over, with about 17,190.5 men and 14,914.5 women per 100,000 of the population passing away. For all ages, the death rate was at 1,118.2 per 100,000 of the population for males, and 970.8 per 100,000 of the population for women. The death rate Death rates generally are counted as the number of deaths per 1,000 or 100,000 of the population and include both deaths of natural and unnatural causes. The death rate in the United States had pretty much held steady since 1990 until it started to increase over the last decade, with the highest death rates recorded in recent years. While the birth rate in the United States has been decreasing, it is still currently higher than the death rate. Causes of death There are a myriad number of causes of death in the United States, but the most recent data shows the top three leading causes of death to be heart disease, cancers, and accidents. Heart disease was also the leading cause of death worldwide.

Number of deaths and mortality rates, by age group, sex, and place of residence, 1991 to most recent year.

This statistic shows the average life expectancy in North America for those born in 2022, by gender and region. In Canada, the average life expectancy was 80 years for males and 84 years for females.

Life expectancy in North America

Of those considered in this statistic, the life expectancy of female Canadian infants born in 2021 was the longest, at 84 years. Female infants born in America that year had a similarly high life expectancy of 81 years. Male infants, meanwhile, had lower life expectancies of 80 years (Canada) and 76 years (USA).

Compare this to the worldwide life expectancy for babies born in 2021: 75 years for women and 71 years for men. Of continents worldwide, North America ranks equal first in terms of life expectancy of (77 years for men and 81 years for women). Life expectancy is lowest in Africa at just 63 years and 66 years for males and females respectively. Japan is the country with the highest life expectancy worldwide for babies born in 2020.

Life expectancy is calculated according to current mortality rates of the population in question. Global variations in life expectancy are caused by differences in medical care, public health and diet, and reflect global inequalities in economic circumstances. Africa’s low life expectancy, for example, can be attributed in part to the AIDS epidemic. In 2019, around 72,000 people died of AIDS in South Africa, the largest amount worldwide. Nigeria, Tanzania and India were also high on the list of countries ranked by AIDS deaths that year. Likewise, Africa has by far the highest rate of mortality by communicable disease (i.e. AIDS, neglected tropics diseases, malaria and tuberculosis).

Historical chart and dataset showing U.S. life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

The life expectancy for men aged 65 years in the U.S. has gradually increased since the 1960s. Now men in the United States aged 65 can expect to live 17 more years on average. Women aged 65 years can expect to live around 19.7 more years on average.

Life expectancy in the U.S.

As of 2021, the average life expectancy at birth in the United States was 76.33 years. Life expectancy in the U.S. had steadily increased for many years but has recently dropped slightly. Women consistently have a higher life expectancy than men but have also seen a slight decrease. As of 2019, a woman in the U.S. could be expected to live up to 79.3 years.

Leading causes of death

The leading causes of death in the United States include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. However, heart disease and cancer account for around 38 percent of all deaths. Although heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for both men and women, there are slight variations in the leading causes of death. For example, unintentional injury and suicide account for a larger portion of deaths among men than they do among women.

Annual data on death registrations by single year of age for the UK (1974 onwards) and England and Wales (1963 onwards).

World Population Data from the United Nations (UN), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division World Population Prospects 2022

Notes
File (CSV, 6 KB) Location notes.

**Demographic Indicators ** Indicator reference (CSV, 4 KB) 1950-2100, medium (ZIP, 7.77 MB) 2022-2100, other scenarios (ZIP, 34.76 MB) Demographic Indicators:

Total Population, as of 1 January (thousands)
Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)
Male Population, as of 1 July (thousands)
Female Population, as of 1 July (thousands)
Population Density, as of 1 July (persons per square km)
Population Sex Ratio, as of 1 July (males per 100 females)
Median Age, as of 1 July (years)
Natural Change, Births minus Deaths (thousands)
Rate of Natural Change (per 1,000 population)
Population Change (thousands)
Population Growth Rate (percentage)
Population Annual Doubling Time (years)
Births (thousands)
Births by women aged 15 to 19 (thousands)
Crude Birth Rate (births per 1,000 population)
Total Fertility Rate (live births per woman)
Net Reproduction Rate (surviving daughters per woman)
Mean Age Childbearing (years)
Sex Ratio at Birth (males per 100 female births)
Total Deaths (thousands)
Male Deaths (thousands)
Female Deaths (thousands)
Crude Death Rate (deaths per 1,000 population)
Life Expectancy at Birth, both sexes (years)
Male Life Expectancy at Birth (years)
Female Life Expectancy at Birth (years)
Life Expectancy at Age 15, both sexes (years)
Male Life Expectancy at Age 15 (years)
Female Life Expectancy at Age 15 (years)
Life Expectancy at Age 65, both sexes (years)
Male Life Expectancy at Age 65 (years)
Female Life Expectancy at Age 65 (years)
Life Expectancy at Age 80, both sexes (years)
Male Life Expectancy at Age 80 (years)
Female Life Expectancy at Age 80 (years)
Infant Deaths, under age 1 (thousands)
Infant Mortality Rate (infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Live births Surviving to Age 1 (thousands)
Deaths under age 5 (thousands)
Under-five Mortality Rate (deaths under age 5 per 1,000 live births)
Mortality before Age 40, both sexes (deaths under age 40 per 1,000 live births)
Male mortality before Age 40 (deaths under age 40 per 1,000 male live births)
Female mortality before Age 40 (deaths under age 40 per 1,000 female live births)
Mortality before Age 60, both sexes (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 live births)
Male mortality before Age 60 (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 male live births)
Female mortality before Age 60 (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 female live births)
Mortality between Age 15 and 50, both sexes (deaths under age 50 per 1,000 alive at age 15)
Male mortality between Age 15 and 50 (deaths under age 50 per 1,000 males alive at age 15)
Female mortality between Age 15 and 50 (deaths under age 50 per 1,000 females alive at age 15)
Mortality between Age 15 and 60, both sexes (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 alive at age 15)
Male mortality between Age 15 and 60 (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 males alive at age 15)
Female mortality between Age 15 and 60 (deaths under age 60 per 1,000 females alive at age 15)
Net Number of Migrants (thousands)
Net Migration Rate (per 1,000 population)

Fertility
1950-2100, single age (ZIP, 78.01 MB) 1950-2100, 5-year age groups (ZIP, 22.38 MB)

Age-specific Fertility Rate (ASFR)
Percent Age-specific Fertility Rate (PASFR)
Births (thousands)

**Life Tables ** 1950-2021, medium (ZIP, 68.72 MB) 2022-2100, medium (ZIP, 74.62 MB) Abridged life tables up to age 100 by sex and both sexes combined providing a set of values showing the mortality experience of a hypothetical group of infants born at the same time and subject throughout their lifetime to the specific mortality rates of a given year, from 1950 to 2100. Only medium is available.

mx: Central death rate, nmx, for the age interval (x, x+n)
qx: Probability of dying (nqx), for an individual between age x and x+n
px: Probability of surviving, (npx), for an individual of age x to age x+n
lx: Number of survivors, (lx), at age (x) for 100000 births
dx: Number of deaths, (ndx), between ages x and x+n
Lx: Number of person-years lived, (nLx), between ages x and x+n
Sx: Survival ratio (nSx) corresponding to proportion of the life table population in age group (x, x+n) who are alive n year later
Tx: Person-years lived, (Tx), above age x
ex: Expectation of life (ex) at age x, i.e., average number of years lived subsequent to age x by those reaching age x
ax: Average number of years lived (nax) between ages x and x+n by those dying in the interval

Life Tables 1950-2021 (ZIP, 94.76 MB) 2022-2100 (ZIP, 101.66 MB) Single age life tables up to age 10...

China: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 6 deaths per 1000 births, a decline from 7 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1969 to 2022 is 43 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 6 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 116 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1969.

The USA: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 6 deaths per 1000 births, unchanged from 6 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2022 is 12 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 6 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2012 while the maximum of 26 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1960.

Life expectancy at birth and at age 65, by sex, on a three-year average basis.

Mortality from breast cancer (ICD-10 C50 equivalent to ICD-9 174). To reduce deaths from breast cancer. The next release date for this indicator is to be confirmed. Legacy unique identifier: P00147

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

Russia: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 4 deaths per 1000 births, a decline from 5 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Russia from 1960 to 2022 is 19 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 4 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 40 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1960.

Germany: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 3 deaths per 1000 births, unchanged from 3 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Germany from 1968 to 2022 is 9 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 3 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2019 while the maximum of 24 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1968.

United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data was reported at 53.693 Ratio in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 53.890 Ratio for 2013. United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data is updated yearly, averaging 83.533 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 111.369 Ratio in 1963 and a record low of 53.693 Ratio in 2014. United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Adult mortality rate, female, is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old female dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) University of California, Berkeley, and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. The Human Mortality Database.; Weighted average;

Mortality from cervical cancer (ICD-10 C53 equivalent to ICD-9 180). To reduce deaths from cervical cancer. Legacy unique identifier: P00187

Indonesia: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 19 deaths per 1000 births, a decline from 20 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Indonesia from 1960 to 2022 is 87 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 19 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 216 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1965.

SE: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data was reported at 12,900.000 NA in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,800.000 NA for 2014. SE: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data is updated yearly, averaging 11,200.000 NA from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12,900.000 NA in 2015 and a record low of 6,700.000 NA in 1990. SE: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life time risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old female will die eventually from a maternal cause assuming that current levels of fertility and mortality (including maternal mortality) do not change in the future, taking into account competing causes of death.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average;