Sep 17, 2024 - News
Chart of the Day: How long we live
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There's as much as a nearly 10-year difference in life expectancy between U.S. states, a new report finds.
By the numbers: Illinois' life expectancy at birth in 2021 was 77 years old, falling to 21st in the U.S.
- Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) have the longest life expectancy at birth as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis.
- Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71.0) and Alabama (72.0) have the shortest.
The big picture: Life expectancy nationwide fell by 0.6 years between 2020 and 2021 — largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and drug overdoses, per the report.
The bottom line: With the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, these numbers will likely improve in future reports — as earlier preliminary data suggests.
Yes, but: Both COVID and drug overdoses remain serious public health challenges.