According to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, the U.S. average life expectancy declined in every state between 2019 and 2020, falling by nearly two years.
For all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the average life expectancy at birth fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020. Life expectancy has been decreasing over the last number of years, and this new average may well be the lowest in nearly two decades. Eight states and Washington, D.C., saw life expectancy fall by more than two years from 2019 to 2020. Those states are New York (−3 years), District of Columbia (−2.7), Louisiana (−2.6), New Jersey (−2.6), Arizona (−2.5), Mississippi (2.5), New Mexico (−2.4), Illinois (−2.2), and Texas (−2.1)
The life expectancy in some states fell more dramatically than others. For comparison, the state ranked the highest for life is Hawaii, with 83.8 years for females, and 77.6 years for males. The following figures show a grim trend, showing ages respectively for females and males: In Oklahoma: 76.9, 71.5; Arkansas: 76.6, 71.1; Tennessee: 77; 70.7; Kentucky: 76.5, 70.6; Alabama: 76.4, 70.1; Louisiana 76.4, 69.9; West Virginia: 76.1, 69.8, and Mississippi: 75.2, 68.6.
So, a male born in Mississippi has a life expectancy a full nine years less than one born in Hawaii.
Does the capacity of U.S. hospitals affect this change?
