US life expectancy vs. the world in 2025: Where do Americans stand?
But lurking beneath all these headlines and gripes lies a stubborn, unshakable fact: in 2025, Americans simply don't live as long as citizens in dozens of other high-income countries.
If you're an average American baby born this year, you're expected to live about 78 years. That sounds fine, maybe even good to some ears, but step outside US borders even just over to Canada or across the United Kingdom and it's abundantly clear: Americans are living shorter lives than almost all their economic peers and, frankly, than millions of people in less wealthy parts of the world.
So, what's going on? Let's take a look into what the latest data tells us about American longevity—and why, for all the tech innovations and world-class medical centers dotting the landscape, life expectancy here just keeps stagnating.
How does
US life expectancy
measure up?
First things first: life expectancy is the average number of years a newborn can expect to live under current mortality rates. In the US, that number hit a recent low after COVID-19 but has since bounced back a bit.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
Still, it's not keeping pace with history—or with the rest of the developed world.
2023 US life expectancy: 78.4 years
Global Average (2025): 73.5 years
Ranking: 48th globally (and slipping)
Here's the kicker: the US is above the global average, but a few years below its 'peer' nations. Most of Western Europe, plus Japan, Australia, South Korea, and even some smaller nations like Monaco, enjoy life expectancies between 82 and 87 years.
Americans are on average living about 3–5 years less than their economic peers, and as much as 8 years less than the world leaders.
What the numbers really say
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes the latest stats for the US:
Both sexes: 78.4 years (2023 data)
Males: 75.8 years
Females: 81.1 years
By comparison, Canada, France, Japan, and even the UK all clock in well above the US average.
WHO (World Health Organization) data lines up: no matter which authority you check, the trend is the same.
America's rank in the longevity league
So where does that put the US? In 48th place (as per several reports) and, according to the latest forecasts by World Population Review, likely to drop even further down the list by 2050.
Other wealthy nations, meanwhile, continue to inch higher, sometimes gaining years while the US just creeps forward months at a time.
Peer nations growing faster: For example, Japan, Korea, Portugal, the UK, and Italy already clock in at 80+ years and counting.
US trend is stagnating: Some projections put the US at 80.4 years—in 2050. That's nearly a quarter-century just to gain a single year.
Why is the US lagging behind?
If you spent any time in a US health economics classroom, you might echo this refrain: Americans spend more—way more—on healthcare than anyone else, but live shorter lives.
Why?
Here's where things get sticky (and let's be real, infuriating). According to the CDC and public health research, several chronic and acute challenges conspire to keep US life expectancy low:
Cardiovascular disease and obesity: Rates here dwarf those in peer nations.
Diabetes: A chronic and costly epidemic.
"Diseases of despair": Suicide, alcoholism, and drug overdoses hit the US particularly hard.
Maternal and infant mortality: Above-average for a wealthy nation.
Motor vehicle fatalities: Still shockingly high.
Healthcare disparity: Insurance rates, cost barriers, and uneven healthcare access.
Socioeconomic inequality: Health outcomes dramatically vary by income, ZIP code, and racial group.
Americans are living shorter, sicker lives even as the country outspends rivals on everything from advanced surgeries to high-end drugs.
Comparing to the UK and peers: A stark gap
Let's pause and zero in on a particularly telling comparison: the United States vs.
the United Kingdom. Recent investigative reports by Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health deliver this sobering headline: Americans live years less than the Brits.
Leading causes of excess US deaths: Heart disease, drug overdoses, infant and maternal deaths
What really stands out isn't just the small year-by-year difference. It's the long-term trend: since the 1980s, America's trajectory has flatlined, while Europe trudges upward—even through its own crises.
Why?
Policy differences: Universal coverage, safety nets, and regenerative social programs in the UK and Europe often make healthier choices easier and provide fallback care when disaster strikes.
Public health investment: The UK spends less on care, but more on prevention and community wellness.
Digging into health habits and policy differences
If you're looking for 'silver bullet' explanations, the data won't cut you any slack. It's death by a thousand small problems, and they're entangled:
Diet: Appallingly high processed food consumption, sugar-sweetened beverages, and ultra-processed snacks.
Exercise: Sedentary lifestyles prevail, especially among kids and teens.
Addiction: A toxic brew of widespread opioid, meth, and alcohol abuse. Overdose rates have reached devastating levels.
Mental health: Underfunded and stigmatized, pushing more people into crisis and self-harm.
Healthcare Coverage: Insurance gaps, high out-of-pocket costs, and rural hospital closures remain endemic.
Environmental factors: Pockets of heavy pollution and 'food deserts.'
As the CDC points out, even American children today face a 1-in-5 shot at developing obesity before adulthood, foreshadowing future medical costs and mortality.
What would it take for America to catch up?
Public health experts and studies converge on a short list of must-dos:
Tackle chronic disease: Expand access to preventive screening, healthy foods, and physical activity.
Address the opioid crisis: Investment in mental health and addiction treatment.
Make healthcare universal and affordable: Reduce insurance and cost barriers.
Maternal and infant health: More prenatal care, family leave, and education.
Tackle poverty and inequality: Social safety nets, fair wages, and safer housing.
Without bolder national action—and strong local follow-through—these gains will remain elusive.
America's health gap is no longer a technical problem; it's a political, social, and moral one. Other countries have shown it's fixable, but it takes serious willpower and the humility to learn from others.
The question for the next generation, then, is simple: Will we keep coasting along on what's left of the old American advantage, or finally tackle the causes behind our shorter lives? For now, the world's watching and, to tell the truth, living longer.
References:
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
CDC – Life Expectancy Data Briefs
WHO Data: United States
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
England doctors begin five-day strike over pay dispute, disrupting NHS care nationwide
LONDON: Thousands of doctors in England's state-funded health system walked off the job Friday in a five-day strike over pay that the government says will disrupt care for patients across the country. Resident doctors, those early in their careers who form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, took to picket lines outside hospitals after talks with the government broke down. The National Health Service said emergency departments would be open and hospitals and clinics would try to carry out as many scheduled appointments as possible. The doctors are seeking a pay raise to make up for what their union, the British Medical Association, says is a 20% real-terms pay cut since 2008. Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt, chairs of the union's resident doctors committee, said 'pay erosion has now got to the point where a doctor's assistant can be paid up to 30% more than a resident doctor.' The government says doctors have received an average 28.9% increase and it will not offer more, but is willing to discuss improved working conditions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the doctors to go back to work. 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage,' he wrote in the Times newspaper. 'Behind the headlines are the patients whose lives will be blighted by this decision. The frustration and disappointment of necessary treatment delayed. And worse, late diagnoses and care that risks their long-term health," Starmer wrote. Health sector staff staged a series of rolling strikes over more than a year in 2023-24, seeking pay rises to offset the rising cost of living. The strikes forced tens of thousands of appointments and procedures to be postponed. The strikes hit efforts by the National Health Service to dig out of an appointment backlog that ballooned after the COVID-19 pandemic and led to longer waiting times to see a doctor. The strikes stopped after the Labour government elected in July 2024 gave doctors a raise, but the union held a new strike vote last month.
News18
22 minutes ago
- News18
Doctors in England start 5-day strike over pay
Agency: PTI London, Jul 25 (AP) Thousands of doctors in England's state-funded health system walked off the job Friday in a five-day strike over pay that the government says will disrupt care for patients across the country. Resident doctors, those early in their careers who form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, took to picket lines outside hospitals after talks with the government broke down. The National Health Service said emergency departments would be open and hospitals and clinics would try to carry out as many scheduled appointments as possible. The doctors are seeking a pay raise to make up for what their union, the British Medical Association, says is a 20 per cent real-terms pay cut since 2008. Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt, chairs of the union's resident doctors committee, said 'pay erosion has now got to the point where a doctor's assistant can be paid up to 30 per cent more than a resident doctor." The government says doctors have received an average 28.9 per cent increase and it will not offer more, but is willing to discuss improved working conditions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the doctors to go back to work. 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage," he wrote in the Times newspaper. 'Behind the headlines are the patients whose lives will be blighted by this decision. The frustration and disappointment of necessary treatment delayed. And worse, late diagnoses and care that risks their long-term health," Starmer wrote. Health sector staff staged a series of rolling strikes over more than a year in 2023-24, seeking pay rises to offset the rising cost of living. The strikes forced tens of thousands of appointments and procedures to be postponed. The strikes hit efforts by the National Health Service to dig out of an appointment backlog that ballooned after the COVID-19 pandemic and led to longer waiting times to see a doctor. The strikes stopped after the Labour government elected in July 2024 gave doctors a raise, but the union held a new strike vote last month. (AP) GRS GRS view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 14:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
43 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Your brain might have aged faster during the pandemic, even without Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated the ageing of the human brain, even in people who were never infected, according to a new study. Mounting stress, prolonged isolation, and widespread disruption during the pandemic appear to have left lasting biological effects on brain structure. Researchers have now found measurable signs of this accelerated ageing across the general population, with older adults, men, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds being most affected. The study, led by researchers at the University of Nottingham and published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, titled Accelerated brain ageing during the Covid-19 pandemic, analysed brain scans of 996 healthy adults sourced from UK Biobank, which holds the de-identified biological and health data of over half a million people. The scans taken before and after the pandemic showed that brains aged an average of 5.5 months faster during lockdown. The findings showed that while men aged about six months faster, women aged by around 4.5 months. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds experienced up to seven months of additional brain ageing. According to the researchers, this is the first major study to isolate pandemic stress from actual Covid infection and still find evidence of measurable brain ageing. How did researchers measure brain ageing? Using AI models trained on more than 15,000 brain scans, scientists calculated each participant's 'brain age gap'—the difference between how old their brain appeared versus their actual age. A larger gap indicated faster ageing. They compared people scanned twice before the pandemic with those scanned once before and once after. The latter group, who lived through lockdowns, social isolation, and economic stress, showed significantly faster brain ageing. Can stress actually age your brain? Emerging research suggests it can. Chronic stress, lack of social stimulation, disrupted routines, and reduced cognitive engagement can all affect brain regions responsible for memory and executive function. The researchers emphasised that brain health is shaped not only by disease but also by environmental factors and everyday experiences. Who was most affected by accelerated brain ageing? According to the study, the most affected groups were: Men (33 per cent more acceleration than women) Older adults Individuals from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds The findings suggest that socioeconomic vulnerability, limited healthcare access, and lower social support systems heightened the impact of pandemic-related stress. How did Covid infection affect the brain differently? While brain ageing was seen across the general population, cognitive decline was reported only in those who had been infected with Covid-19. Infected individuals performed worse on mental flexibility and processing speed tests, especially the Trail Making Test (TMT), which is often used to assess early dementia symptoms. Thus, while pandemic stress altered brain structure, infection was linked to functional cognitive decline. Are these brain changes permanent? It is unclear. Since the study only measured two time points per person, researchers cannot yet confirm whether brain ageing will stabilise or reverse over time. However, they remain cautiously optimistic. 'Our study highlights the pandemic's significant impact on brain health, beyond direct infection effects, and underscores the need to address broader social and health inequalities,' the authors noted. How can you protect your brain now? Even if the pandemic aged your brain slightly, there are proven ways to support brain health: Maintain regular social connections Engage in physical activity Follow a brain-healthy diet Prioritise mental well-being and sleep Keep your mind active with learning and problem-solving While ageing is inevitable, experts say the rate of cognitive decline can still be influenced. According to experts, by avoiding certain everyday habits, like prolonged sitting, skipping meals, excessive screen time, chronic stress, and social isolation, we may be able to slow down cognitive ageing and protect our mental well-being.
