The United States just hit a major milestone in public health, as the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) announced that life expectancy for Americans rose to a full 79 years in 2024. That’s the highest mark ever recorded in the nation’s history. Even better, ABC News reported that preliminary statistics suggest this upward trend is going to continue right through 2025.
Experts are celebrating. It isn’t just that the COVID-19 pandemic is finally fading away; we’re also seeing death rates waning across the board for the nation’s biggest killers. This includes major diseases like heart disease and cancer, plus a significant decline in drug overdoses. Robert Anderson, from the National Center for Health Statistics, summed up the general feeling perfectly when he said, “It’s pretty much good news all the way around.”
The data for 2024 shows that death rates dropped in every single racial and ethnic group, and for both men and women, by about 18,000. The biggest drop was in deaths from unintentional injuries, a category that includes drug overdoses. That critical category fell by more than 14% in 2024. That’s a massive win for public health efforts and shows that intervention strategies are actually having a lasting impact.
Preparation and education are key here
Dr. Sadiya Khan, who treats and studies heart disease, suggests the 3% improvement is likely due to better medical treatments and more effective weight management strategies. Plus, COVID-19, which was the third biggest killer in the country, finally dropped out of the top 10 entirely. CDC has also noted a drop in suicides and homicides.
Life expectancy is a fundamental measure of a population’s health. It estimates the average number of years a baby born today might expect to live. Historically, U.S. life expectancy rose almost every year thanks to medical breakthroughs and public health measures. Researcher Andrew Stokes noted that the new data reflects a needed recovery from the pandemic years and the government’s handling of crises like drug control.
While we should absolutely celebrate hitting a new high of 79 years, we can’t get too comfortable just yet. The U.S. still ranks below dozens of other countries when it comes to how long people live. Additionally, while final numbers from 2025 are going to show improvement, the country is facing some major hurdles.
The current administration still doesn’t have a clear plan on how it will deal with Healthcare. Additionally, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just announced sweeping reforms to prenatal and pediatric vaccinations. It will leave a whole new generation of children vulnerable to diseases that were thought to be eradicated.
Published: Feb 2, 2026 10:36 am