Americans' life expectancy climbs to 79 years

New CDC data indicate a rise in American life expectancy, reaching an all-time high of 79 years in 2024. This improvement is attributed to reduced deaths from COVID-19 and drug overdoses. While women continue to have a higher life expectancy, now slightly over 81 years, the gap with men is closing as male life expectancy has significantly increased to 76.5 years.