Life expectancy in Ohio is shorter than most states
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Your life expectancy could vary greatly depending on which state you live in, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis.
Why it matters: Ohio had one of the lowest life expectancies at birth as of 2021, per the CDC report.
By the numbers: Ohioans were, on average, expected to live 74.5 years — the 12th shortest of any state.
- Other states at the bottom of the rankings were mostly southern, including Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71), Alabama (72) Louisiana (72.2) and Kentucky (72.3).
The other side: Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) had the longest life expectancies at birth.
The big picture: Life expectancy nationwide fell 0.6 years between 2020 and 2021 — largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and drug overdoses, per the report.
- Life expectancy in Ohio, which has one of the highest death totals from drug overdoses, fell by 0.8 years during that period.
Zoom in: Women are expected to live longer than men across the country, including in Ohio where the gap between women (77.5 years) and men (71.7) is nearly 6 years.
How it works: The findings are based on a combination of mortality statistics and Census and Medicare data.
Yes, but: With the worst of the pandemic behind us, these numbers will likely improve in future reports — as preliminary 2022 data suggests.