U.S. life expectancy hit a record high in 2024, thanks to declining deaths attributed to drug overdoses and COVID-19. Read on for a closer look at what is causing the most deaths in the country despite the boost in overall life expectancy rates.

Life Expectancy Jumps Significantly in the U.S.

Death rates have returned to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels across the U.S. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) details that life expectancy levels are now at 79 years, the highest they have ever been in this country. The data was published last week by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

Life expectancy throughout the U.S. had trended upwards for decades before falling between 2019 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The overall death rate between 2023 and 2024 dropped by 4%, resulting in a boost in life expectancy by more than six months.

The CDC noted that there were 722 deaths for every 100,000 residents of the U.S. in 2024. This percentage translates to almost 3.1 million deaths overall.

The top ten leading causes of death in the U.S. represented over 70% of all lives lost in 2024. Heart disease and cancer topped this list, killing over 600,000 people in each category. Unintentional injuries, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and suicide rounded out the top ten.

The most promising news is that death rates declined for each of the top 10 leading causes of death for the year. This included a steep decline in the category of unintentional injuries, a category that is mostly made up of drug overdoses. This particular statistic fell by more than 26% from 2023. The decreases were reported in all age groups and racial and ethnic demographics.

Fentanyl and other types of synthetic opioids are still the primary drugs attributed to overdose deaths. However, the involvement of these two substances has fallen dramatically in recent years, leading to the overall decline in overdose deaths. For instance, approximately 6 out of 10 overdose deaths in 2024 were connected to fentanyl or another synthetic opioid. This number was down from more than 9 in 10 in the year 2023. The CDC report also detailed that fatalities associated with psychostimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine fell in 2024.

Despite the promising news about the decline of drug overdoses in 2024, this is still one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Over 79,000 people lost their lives in 2024 due to overdoses. The provisional data, still being confirmed for 2025, indicates that this number continued to fall.

Impacts of Declining COVID-19 Deaths on Overall Fatality Rate

COVID-19 shot up the rankings of causes of death in the U.S. during the first two years of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, finishing both years as the third leading cause of mortality in the country. However, those numbers began to inch down in 2022, falling to fourth. By 2023, COVID-19 was the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S.

The virus fell out of the top ten completely in 2025 as it became less lethal. That said, health experts caution that there are still tens of thousands of deaths each year attributed to COVID-19.

Suicide replaced COVID-19 in the top ten in 2025. The suicide mortality rate hit a record high in the U.S. in 2022, largely blamed on the impact of the isolation caused by the pandemic. Although suicide rates have decreased slightly since 2022, it is still one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

More than 14 million adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in 2024. Of that number, 4.6 million made a suicide plan and 2.2 million attempted to kill themselves. This data comes from a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Millions of Americans have called, texted, or launched chats to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline since the middle of 2022. Roughly 10% of these people were sent to a specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth. The Trump administration cut the specialized service for this population last year.

Diving Into the Demographics of Life Expectancy

Women in the U.S. can still expect to live a few years longer than their male counterparts. However, the CDC notes that this gap is starting to shrink. For example, while the life expectancy for females increased by 0.3 years to 81.4 in 2024, the average life expectancy for males jumped 0.7 years to 76.5.

Death rates fell across all racial and ethnic groups between 2023 and 2024. Despite this promising statistic, there are still many disparities. American Indian men and Black men grapple with the highest age-adjusted mortality rate in 2024.

Mortality rates also dropped across most age groups. The exception is the age group encompassing children ages 5 to 14. This group has seen the death rate hold steady between 2023 and 2024.

Infant mortality rates had been on a downward trajectory for years in the U.S. before spiking once again in 2022. According to the CDC report, over 20,000 infants passed away before turning one in 2024, equating to about 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore. Ride the wave of what’s next.