US Life Expectancy Fell Sharply In 2020. Covid "Single Greatest Effect"

Life expectancy at birth for the total US population was 77.3 years, down from 78.8 in 2019, and the lowest it has been since 2003.

Average US life expectancy fell by 1.5 years in 2020, a sharp decline driven by the Covid-19 pandemic affecting males and communities of color the most, new data showed Wednesday. Life expectancy at birth for the total US population was 77.3 years, down from 78.8 in 2019, and the lowest it has been since 2003, said a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The significant fall also bucks a trend of steady increase in the post-World War II period, albeit with small decreases in some years. Among males, the figure was 74.5 years, a decrease of 1.8 years, and among females it was 80.2 years, a decline of 1.2 years.