The life expectancy of women at birth in the United States stood at 81.1 years in 2023. Between 1960 and 2023, the life expectancy rose by eight years, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

In 2021, a woman in the United States aged 65 years could expect to live another **** years on average. This number decreased in the years 2020 and 2021, after reaching a high of **** 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 **** years, but by 2021 it had decreased to **** years. Likewise, the life expectancy for men decreased from **** years to **** 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 ** percent of all deaths among women, while around ** 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.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in United States was reported at 81.1 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Female life expectancy of United States of America improved by 1.12% from 80.2 years in 2022 to 81.1 years in 2023. Since the 0.75% reduction in 2021, female life expectancy grew by 2.27% in 2023. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

The average for 2022 based on 24 countries was 77.36 years. The highest value was in Bermuda: 84.51 years and the lowest value was in Haiti: 66.7 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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).

Healthy life expectancy (HLE) is an estimate of expected years of life spent in self-reported good health. The figure used is for females aged under 1 year. Figures are based on the number of deaths registered and mid-year population estimates, aggregated over three consecutive years.

It is used as a high-level outcome to contrast and monitor the health status of different populations at specific points in time, giving context to the impacts of policy changes and interventions at both national and local levels.

Healthy life expectancy has value across state, private, and voluntary sectors, in the assessment of healthy ageing, fitness for work, health improvement monitoring, extensions to the state pension age, pension provision, and health and social care need. This indicator is an extremely important summary measure of mortality and morbidity. It complements the supporting indicators such as mortality by cause by showing the overall trends and setting the context in which local authorities can assess the other indicators and identify the drivers of healthy life expectancy.

The health prevalence data used in calculating HLE estimates for the various geographies in England were derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS).

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This table contains 2394 series, with data for years 1991 - 1991 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 items: Canada ...), Population group (19 items: Entire cohort; Income adequacy quintile 1 (lowest);Income adequacy quintile 2;Income adequacy quintile 3 ...), Age (14 items: At 25 years; At 30 years; At 40 years; At 35 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Characteristics (3 items: Life expectancy; High 95% confidence interval; life expectancy; Low 95% confidence interval; life expectancy ...).

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Israel was reported at 85.5 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Israel - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

State-level by-year life expectancy estimates for men and women, by income quartile

In 2021, women had an average life expectancy of ** years at birth, while men were expected to live 68.9 years. The average life expectancy worldwide dropped from 2019 to 2021, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statistic depicts the average life expectancy at birth worldwide in 1990, 2019, and 2021, by gender.

The USA: Life expectancy, in years, female: The latest value from 2022 is 80.2 years, an increase from 79.3 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 74.94 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2022 is 78.15 years. The minimum value, 73.1 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 81.4 years was recorded in 2019.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in China was reported at 80.93 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Cameroon CM: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data was reported at 65.944 Year in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.634 Year for 2022. Cameroon CM: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 54.957 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.944 Year in 2023 and a record low of 41.698 Year in 1960. Cameroon CM: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Cameroon – Table CM.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;Weighted average;

The graph shows the life expectancy of women in China from 1960 to 2022 with forecasts until 2050. In 2022, the average life expectancy of women at birth in China was about 81.3 years.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Finland was reported at 84.4 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Finland - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

National life expectancy estimates (pooling 2001-14) for men and women, by income percentile.

Mali ML: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data was reported at 58.674 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 58.163 Year for 2015. Mali ML: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 45.552 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 58.674 Year in 2016 and a record low of 29.026 Year in 1960. Mali ML: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Greenland was reported at 73.45 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Greenland - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 44 countries was 81.91 years. The highest value was in Spain: 85.9 years and the lowest value was in Moldova: 73.32 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.