US deaths are down and life expectancy is up, but improvements are slowing

FILE - Iron crosses marking graves are silhouetted against storm clouds building over a cemetery May 25, 2024, in Victoria, Kan. FILE - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown March 15, 2020, in Atlanta.

U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another — much smaller — improvement this year.