The life expectancy of men at birth in the United States saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 75.8 years. However, 2023 marked the second consecutive increase of the life expectancy. Life expectancy at birth refers to the number of years the average newborn is expected to live, providing that mortality patterns at the time of birth do not change thereafter.Find more statistics on other topics about the United States with key insights such as total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, and total life expectancy at birth.

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.

The USA: Life expectancy, in years, male: The latest value from 2022 is 74.8 years, an increase from 73.5 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 69.65 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2022 is 71.82 years. The minimum value, 66 years, was reached in 1968 while the maximum of 76.5 years was recorded in 2014.

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in United States was reported at 75.8 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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).

Over the past 160 years, life expectancy (from birth) in the United States has risen from 39.4 years in 1860, to 78.9 years in 2020. One of the major reasons for the overall increase of life expectancy in the last two centuries is the fact that the infant and child mortality rates have decreased by so much during this time. Medical advancements, fewer wars and improved living standards also mean that people are living longer than they did in previous centuries.

Despite this overall increase, the life expectancy dropped three times since 1860; from 1865 to 1870 during the American Civil War, from 1915 to 1920 during the First World War and following Spanish Flu epidemic, and it has dropped again between 2015 and now. The reason for the most recent drop in life expectancy is not a result of any specific event, but has been attributed to negative societal trends, such as unbalanced diets and sedentary lifestyles, high medical costs, and increasing rates of suicide and drug use.

Forecast: Male Life Expectancy at Age 65 in the US 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

The dataset presents life expectancy at birth estimates based on annual complete period life tables for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) in 2021 for the total, male and female populations.

The dataset presents life expectancy at birth estimates based on annual complete period life tables for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) in 2019 for the total, male and female populations.

United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 76.300 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 76.300 Year for 2015. United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 71.400 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.500 Year in 2014 and a record low of 66.000 Year in 1968. United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.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;

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 dataset presents life expectancy at birth estimates based on annual complete period life tables for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) in 2020 for the total, male and female populations.

Abstract

The Health Inequality Project uses big data to measure differences in life expectancy by income across areas and identify strategies to improve health outcomes for low-income Americans.

Section 7

This table reports life expectancy point estimates and standard errors for men and women at age 40 for each percentile of the national income distribution. Both race-adjusted and unadjusted estimates are reported.

Source

Section 13

This table reports life expectancy point estimates and standard errors for men and women at age 40 for each percentile of the national income distribution separately by year. Both race-adjusted and unadjusted estimates are reported.

Source

Section 6

This dataset was created on 2020-01-10 18:53:00.508 by merging multiple datasets together. The source datasets for this version were:

Commuting Zone Life Expectancy Estimates by year: CZ-level by-year life expectancy estimates for men and women, by income quartile

Commuting Zone Life Expectancy: Commuting zone (CZ)-level life expectancy estimates for men and women, by income quartile

Commuting Zone Life Expectancy Trends: CZ-level estimates of trends in life expectancy for men and women, by income quartile

Commuting Zone Characteristics: CZ-level characteristics

Commuting Zone Life Expectancy for larger populations: CZ-level life expectancy estimates for men and women, by income ventile

Section 15

This table reports life expectancy point estimates and standard errors for men and women at age 40 for each quartile of the national income distribution by state of residence and year. Both race-adjusted and unadjusted estimates are reported.

Source

Section 11

This table reports US mortality rates by gender, age, year and household income percentile. Household incomes are measured two years prior to the mortality rate for mortality rates at ages 40-63, and at age 61 for mortality rates at ages 64-76. The “lag” variable indicates the number of years between measurement of income and mortality.

Observations with 1 or 2 deaths have been masked: all mortality rates that reflect only 1 or 2 deaths have been recoded to reflect 3 deaths

Source

Section 3

This table reports coefficients and standard errors from regressions of life expectancy estimates for men and women at age 40 for each quartile of the national income distribution on calendar year by commuting zone of residence. Only the slope coefficient, representing the average increase or decrease in life expectancy per year, is reported. Trend estimates for both race-adjusted and unadjusted life expectancies are reported. Estimates are reported for the 100 largest CZs (populations greater than 590,000) only.

Source

Section 9

This table reports life expectancy estimates at age 40 for Males and Females for all countries. Source: World Health Organization, accessed at: http://apps.who.int/gho/athena/

Source

Section 10

This table reports life expectancy point estimates and standard errors for men and women at age 40 for each quartile of the national income distribution by county of residence. Both race-adjusted and unadjusted estimates are reported. Estimates are reported for counties with populations larger than 25,000 only

Source

Section 2

This table reports life expectancy point estimates and standard errors for men and women at age 40 for each quartile of the national income distribution by commuting zone of residence and year. Both race-adjusted and unadjusted estimates are reported. Estimates are reported for the 100 largest CZs (populations greater than 590,000) only.

Source

Section 8

This table reports US population and death counts by age, year, and sex from various sources. Counts labelled “dm1” are derived from the Social Security Administration Data Master 1 file. Counts labelled “irs” are derived from tax data. Counts labelled “cdc” are derived from NCHS life tables.

Source

Section 12

This table reports numerous county characteristics, compiled from various sources. These characteristics are described in the county life expectancy table.

Two variables constructed by the Cen

Laos LA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 65.131 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.806 Year for 2015. Laos LA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 51.342 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.131 Year in 2016 and a record low of 41.543 Year in 1960. Laos LA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.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 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.

United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 78.690 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 78.690 Year for 2015. United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 74.766 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.841 Year in 2014 and a record low of 69.771 Year in 1960. United States US: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: 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, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (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;

Over the period 2007-2011, life expectancy at birth was 78.5 years for the total population in New Mexico, 75.8 years for males, and 81.3 years for females.For comparison, in 2011, life expectancy at birth was 78.7 years for the total U.S. population, 76.3 years for males, and 81.1 years for females. (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6335a8.htm?s_cid=mm6335a8_e )PLEASE NOTE: The data in this map corrects, updates and replaces life expectancy data included in the 2012 Bernalillo County Place Matters 'Community Health Equity Report'. Compare life expectancy in Europe and the USA - Map ImageNOTE: Changes in life expectancy (Increase, Decrease, No Change) over the periods 1999-2003 to 2007-2011 are tested for statistical significance using a rule of one standard deviation.

Life Expectancy at Birth, Small Areas, by Sex, 1999-2003 and 2007-2011 - LEBSASEX

Summary: Life Expectancy at Birth, Small Areas, by Sex, 1999-2003 and 2007-2011

Prepared by: NEW MEXICO COMMUNITY DATA COLLABORATIVE, http://nmcdc.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html ; T Scharmen, thomas.scharmen@state.nm.us, 505-897-5700 x126,

Data Sources: New Mexico Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, New Mexico Department of Health; Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program, http://bber.unm.edu/bber_research_demPop.html. Retrieved Mon, 21 June 2014 from New Mexico Department of Health, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.nm.us

Shapefile: http://nmcdc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=1e97d2715d8640ab9023fa35fc7b2634

Feature: http://nmcdc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3104749c2c094044914abf9ba6953eab

Master File:

NM DATA VARIABLE DEFINITION

999 SANO Small Area Number

NEW MEXICO SANAME Small Area Name

9250534 PB9903 Population at Risk, Both Sexes, 1999-2003

77.7 LEB9903 Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 1999-2003

77.7 CILB9903 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 1999-2003

77.7 CIUB9903 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 1999-2003

10188104 PB0711 Population at Risk, Both Sexes, 2007-2011

78.5 LEB0711 Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 2007-2011

78.5 CILB0711 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 2007-2011

78.5 CIUB0711 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes, 2007-2011

0.8 LEBDIFF Difference in Life Expectancy, Both Sexes, 2007-2011 MINUS 1999-2003

INCREASE LEBSIG Trend of the Difference in Life Expectancy, Both Sexes, (1 standard deviation = 68.2% confidence interval)

4683013 PF9903 Population at Risk, Females, 1999-2003

80.6 LEF9903 Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 1999-2003

80.6 CILF9903 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 1999-2003

80.6 CIUF9903 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 1999-2003

5155192 PF0711 Population at Risk, Females, 2007-2011

81.3 LEF0711 Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 2007-2011

81.3 CILF0711 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 2007-2011

81.3 CIUF0711 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Females, 2007-2011

0.7 LEFDIFF Difference in Life Expectancy, Females, 2007-2011 MINUS 1999-2003

INCREASE LEFSIG Trend of the Difference in Life Expectancy, Females, (1 standard deviation = 68.2% confidence interval)

4567521 PM9903 Population at Risk, Males, 1999-2003

74.8 LEM9903 Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 1999-2003

74.8 CILM9903 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 1999-2003

74.8 CIUM9903 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 1999-2003

5032911 PM0711 Population at Risk, Males, 2007-2011

75.8 LEM0711 Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 2007-2011

75.7 CILM0711 Lower Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 2007-2011

75.8 CIUM0711 Upper Confidence Interval for Life Expectancy at Birth, Males, 2007-2011

1 LEMDIFF Difference in Life Expectancy, Males, 2007-2011 MINUS 1999-2003

INCREASE LEMSIG Trend of the Difference in Life Expectancy, Males, (1 standard deviation = 68.2% confidence interval)

1.077540107 FMRT9903 Female to Male Ratio of Life Expectancy, 1999-2003

1.072559367 FMRT0711 Female to Male Ratio of Life Expectancy, 2007-2011

5.8 FMDT9903 Female Life Expectancy MINUS Male Life Expectancy, 1999-2003

5.5 FMDT0711 Female Life Expectancy MINUS Male Life Expectancy, 2007-2011

-0.3 FMDTDIFF Difference in Female Life Expectancy MINUS Male Life Expectancy, over both time periods, in Years

School life expectancy, primary and secondary, male (years) in United States was reported at 12.05 years in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - School life expectancy, primary and secondary, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

In 2024, the average life expectancy in the world was 71 years for men and 76 years for women. The lowest life expectancies were found in Africa, while Oceania and Europe had the highest. What is life expectancy?Life expectancy is defined as a statistical measure of how long a person may live, based on demographic factors such as gender, current age, and most importantly the year of their birth. The most commonly used measure of life expectancy is life expectancy at birth or at age zero. The calculation is based on the assumption that mortality rates at each age were to remain constant in the future. Life expectancy has changed drastically over time, especially during the past 200 years. In the early 20th century, the average life expectancy at birth in the developed world stood at 31 years. It has grown to an average of 70 and 75 years for males and females respectively, and is expected to keep on growing with advances in medical treatment and living standards continuing. Highest and lowest life expectancy worldwide Life expectancy still varies greatly between different regions and countries of the world. The biggest impact on life expectancy is the quality of public health, medical care, and diet. As of 2022, the countries with the highest life expectancy were Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Australia, all at 84–83 years. Most of the countries with the lowest life expectancy are mostly African countries. The ranking was led by the Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho with 53–54 years.

BackgroundLife expectancy at birth in the United States will likely surpass 80 years in the coming decade. Yet recent studies suggest that longevity gains are unevenly shared across age and socioeconomic groups. First, mortality in midlife has risen among non-Hispanic whites. Second, low-educated whites have suffered stalls (men) or declines (women) in adult life expectancy, which is significantly lower than among their college-educated counterparts. Estimating the number of life years lost or gained by age and cause of death, broken down by educational attainment, is crucial in identifying vulnerable populations.Methods and FindingsUsing U.S. vital statistics data from 1990 to 2010, this study decomposes the change in life expectancy at age 25 by age and cause of death across educational attainment groups, broken down by race and gender. The findings reveal that mortality in midlife increased for white women (and to a lesser extent men) with 12 or fewer years of schooling, accounting for most of the stalls or declines in adult life expectancy observed in those groups. Among blacks, mortality declined in nearly all age and educational attainment groups. Although an educational gradient was found across multiple causes of death, between 60 and 80 percent of the gap in adult life expectancy was explained by cardiovascular diseases, smoking-related diseases, and external causes of death. Furthermore, the number of life years lost to smoking-related, external, and other causes of death increased among low- and high school-educated whites, explaining recent stalls or declines in longevity.ConclusionsLarge segments of the American population—particularly low- and high school-educated whites under age 55—are diverging from their college-educated counterparts and losing additional years of life to smoking-related diseases and external causes of death. If this trend continues, old-age mortality may also increase for these birth cohorts in the coming decades.