Life Expectancy Showdown: America vs. the Globe. Detail Description..

us news articles | July 5, 2025

Why It Matters?

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The U.S.—A Slower Climb

[{"selector":"#anim-c0bae34b-935d-47b6-b9b4-12256f1abbd0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c54f2642-3a94-476d-aede-77c0af526b0b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -145.41446%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46903f2f-8ce8-45e3-8a12-e52f2704260b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb81960f-0bcd-408d-a90e-33e6cc2bca54","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f558de0d-fe6d-44d9-9636-652ab6e0ed9a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 99.33664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fe165fb-4749-42e4-9c77-2381a44725b8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Life expectancy in America rose from around 69 in 1950 to 78.4 in 2023. But guess what? That’s still lagging behind many wealthy nations.

Pandemic Setback

[{"selector":"#anim-2d72b76f-c681-4e44-b020-eb2b3051de85","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66828472-05af-434f-98af-548134cab68f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -145.41446%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-abe6a88f-d72a-49a2-a8ed-485e5c12d571","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-682a56c4-7ec8-43c8-98c0-6398b1552bea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c4b44d4-acc5-48e9-8f58-7cd5827cb444","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 99.33664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c34fbedb-cde9-4b96-8b88-7d2b5660161d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] COVID‑19 hit hard—life expectancy dropped and only bounced back by 0.9 years in 2023. Still, the U.S. remains about 4 years behind fellow OECD countries.

Chasing the Curve

[{"selector":"#anim-f46a0583-b206-4144-8d4c-a8de24983ca5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16fc70ff-aa4f-47c0-98ea-a49c70742424","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -145.41446%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2e22835-fa03-4fb8-a910-48e8c770addd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8bbd2cbb-3dd5-4b93-a484-282ba6aeacdf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e21732ff-183f-45e4-bb34-24602907ae11","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 99.33664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-351a5d7b-2e69-4fb6-8046-607abbf9c838","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] By 2050, U.S. life expectancy is expected to hit around 80.4 years—better, but still behind peers.

Healthspan VS Lifespan

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Chronic Conditions

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Want the Full Picture?

[{"selector":"#anim-59d443ca-52ef-4590-9c9f-4b768a70c456","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-161f09e1-c063-4cc3-a48c-6152a31a791a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] America’s life expectancy story is more than just numbers. Tap below to see the full timeline, trends, and what the future might look like! Learn more