Life Expectancy Has Declined

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

The latest CDC data show that the U.S. life expectancy has declined over the past few years. Tragically, this troubling trend is largely driven by deaths from drug overdose and suicide. Life expectancy gives us a snapshot of the Nation’s overall health and these sobering statistics are a wakeup call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable. CDC is committed to putting science into action to protect U.S. health, but we must all work together to reverse this trend and help ensure that all Americans live longer and healthier lives.”
— Robert R. Redfield, M.D., CDC Director

Data from CDC:

•  Life expectancy for the U.S. population declined to 78.6 years in 2017.
• The age-adjusted death rate increased by 0.4% from 728.8 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2016 to 731.9 in 2017.
• Age-specific death rates increased from 2016 to 2017 for age groups 25–34, 35–44, and 85 and over, and decreased for the age group 45–54.
• The 10 leading causes of death in 2017 remained the same as in 2016.
• The infant mortality rate of 579.3 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 was not significantly different from the 2016 rate.
• The 10 leading causes of infant death in 2017 remained the same as in 2016 although
• 4 causes changed ranks.