Disparities in life expectancy nearly double since 2000

A study found life expectancy disparities of different U.S. populations have nearly doubled since 2000, with Indigenous Americans in western states living 64 years and Asian Americans living 84 years. Published recently in The Lancet, the study found life expectancy varies depending on where one lives, the economic conditions in that place, one’s education level and one’s racial and ethnic identity. The declining health of certain populations is a primary reason why U.S. life expectancy ─ at 75 years for men and 80 for women ─ is the shortest among wealthy nations. The average life expectancy of many American Indians and Alaska Natives and Black people in low-income counties in the southeastern U.S. has been declining since 2000 and 2014, respectively. (KFF article, 1/22/25)