US Life Expectancy Climbs on Fewer Drug-Overdose Deaths
- Nation’s death rate fell by 6% in 2023 from a year earlier
- Overdose decline may be a ‘fundamental shift,’ researcher says
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US life expectancy at birth increased to its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic, bolstered by a decrease in drug overdose deaths, according to new reports.
The US population’s death rate decreased by 6% in 2023 from 2022, resulting in life expectancy at birth increasing to 78.4 years from 77.5 years, a report published Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics shows. Meanwhile, overdose death rates fell 4% in 2023 from a year earlier, according to a different report.