US life expectancy on track to reach record high
A new CDC report shows the U.S. death rate fell to a record low in 2025, driven by declines in COVID-19, heart disease, and cancer mortality. Life expectancy is on track to reach an all-time high of 79.8 years, continuing a post-pandemic recovery trend.
Background
- US life expectancy has been rising for decades but took a sharp hit during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2021), dropping from ~78.8 to ~76.4 years — the biggest two-year decline since WWII. This article covers the post-pandemic rebound toward a new record.
- The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is the official US government source for mortality data. Its "provisional" reports are preliminary estimates that often get revised slightly, but they reliably show the direction of change.
- The "record high" mentioned refers to surpassing the previous peak of 78.9 years (set in 2014). A return to that level signals the population has largely recovered from COVID-era excess deaths as well as the opioid crisis's worst waves.