2023 to 2024 Saw Increase in Life Expectancy, Decrease in Death Rates

FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- From 2023 to 2024, there was an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in age-adjusted death rates, while decreases were also seen in drug overdose death rates, according to two January data briefs published by the National Center for Health Statistics.Jiaquan Xu, M.D., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues examined data from the National Vital Statistics System to examine mortality in the United States in 2024. The researchers found that life expectancy was 79.0 years for the U.S. population in 2024, marking a 0.6-year increase from 2023. There was a 3.8 percent decrease in the age-adjusted death rate from 2023 to 2024, from 750.5 to 722.1 deaths per 100,000 standard population.Matthew F. Garnett, M.P.H., and Arialdi M. Miniño, M.P.H., also from the National Center for Health Statistics, used data from the National Vital Statistics System to explore drug overdose deaths in the United States. The researchers found that between 2022 and 2024, the age-adjusted drug overdose rate decreased, with the largest decrease of 26.2 percent occurring from 2023 to 2024 (31.3 to 23.1 deaths per 100,000 population). Rates of drug overdose deaths decreased for all age groups from 2023 to 2024, with the largest decrease seen in younger age groups, and for all race and Hispanic origin groups, with the largest decreases seen for Black, non-Hispanic people."The national age-adjusted drug overdose death rate decreased by 26.2 percent between 2023 and 2024," Garnett and Miniño write. "This decrease was the largest percentage drop across the 2014 to 2024 period and continues a period of decline that began in 2022."Data Brief - XuData Brief - Garnett and Miniño.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

2023 to 2024 Saw Increase in Life Expectancy, Decrease in Death Rates

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