Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second consecutive year in 2021, reaching 76.1 years, the lowest in over a century. American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced a particularly significant decline of 6.6 years, attributed to various barriers in accessing healthcare. Factors contributing to the overall decline include disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, attitudes toward vaccines, and underlying health challenges like heart disease and substance abuse. Click here for article.
U.S. life expectancy fell to 76.1 years in 2021, marking the second consecutive year of decline.
American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced a staggering 6.6-year decrease in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021.
Barriers to healthcare access, disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, and vaccine hesitancy contributed to the decline.
White Americans saw a larger drop in life expectancy compared to Black and Hispanic Americans in 2021.
Other factors such as heart disease, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, suicide, and drug overdoses also played a role in the decline.