U.S. life expectancy at birth hit a record high of 79 years in 2024, marking an increase of 0.6 years from 78.4 years in 2023. This rebound was primarily attributed to a substantial 26.2% decrease in drug overdose death rates between 2023 and 2024, from 31.3 to 23.1 per 100,000, and a significant drop in COVID-19 deaths, which fell by 37.1% from 49,932 in 2023 to 31,426 in 2024. The total number of drug overdose deaths in 2024 was 79,384. This positive trend also saw a nearly 4% decrease in the overall U.S. death rate, from 750.5 to 722.1 deaths per 100,000 standard population.
Heart disease remained the leading cause of death, followed by cancer and unintentional injuries. Notably, COVID-19 dropped out of the top 10 leading causes of death for the first time since the pandemic, moving to the 15th position, while suicide became the 10th leading cause. Deaths from unintentional injuries, which include drug overdoses, saw the largest decline, falling more than 14%. Death rates decreased across all demographic subgroups, with the most significant improvements seen in younger age groups, Black non-Hispanic individuals, and males.
Specific declines in drug-related deaths included a 35.6% decrease in deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone), a 26.7% decrease in cocaine-related deaths, and a 19.8% decrease in deaths involving psychostimulants like methamphetamine. Despite these improvements, experts like Robert Anderson from the NCHS cautioned that the U.S. life expectancy of 79 years still lags behind most other developed countries, which typically have life expectancies over 80 years. The infant mortality rate remained relatively stable, with a minor change from 560.2 to 552.5 deaths per 100,000 live births.
