What is life expectancy in United States?

Life expectancy in United States was 79.3 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest life expectancy recorded in United States?

The highest recorded value was 79.3 years in 2023.

What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in United States?

The lowest recorded value was 39.41 years in 1880.

How does United States rank for life expectancy?

United States ranks 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is life expectancy rising or falling in United States?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this United States data come from?

The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Life expectancy in United States

Name: Life expectancy in United States
Creator: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

United States: Life expectancy was 79.3 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

79.3 years

Change on year

up 1.7%

World rank

63rd

of 236 countries

All-time high

79.3 years

in 2023

All-time low

39.41 years

in 1880

Years of data

125

1880–2023

Life expectancy in United States, 1880–2023

Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2023, life expectancy in United States stood at 79.3 years. That is the highest value across all 125 years on record.

The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy in United States peaked at 79.3 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.41 years, in 1880.

That places United States 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 125 years of available data.

Life expectancy in United States, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy in United States, 1880 to 2023.
Year	years	Change
1880	39.41 years	—
1890	45.21 years	+14.7%
1901	49.3 years	+9.0%
1902	50.5 years	+2.4%
1903	50.6 years	+0.2%
1904	49.6 years	-2.0%
1905	50.3 years	+1.4%
1906	50.1 years	-0.4%
1907	50.2 years	+0.2%
1908	51.9 years	+3.4%
1909	52.8 years	+1.7%
1910	51.8 years	-1.9%
1911	53.4 years	+3.1%
1912	54.1 years	+1.3%
1913	53.5 years	-1.1%
1914	54.6 years	+2.1%
1915	55.1 years	+0.9%
1916	54.2 years	-1.6%
1917	54 years	-0.4%
1918	47.2 years	-12.6%
1919	55.3 years	+17.2%
1920	55.4 years	+0.2%
1921	58.2 years	+5.1%
1922	58.1 years	-0.2%
1923	57.5 years	-1.0%
1924	58.5 years	+1.7%
1925	58.5 years	+0.0%
1926	57.9 years	-1.0%
1927	59.4 years	+2.6%
1928	58.3 years	-1.9%
1929	58.5 years	+0.3%
1930	59.6 years	+1.9%
1931	60.3 years	+1.2%
1932	61 years	+1.2%
1933	60.9 years	-0.2%
1934	60.19 years	-1.2%
1935	60.91 years	+1.2%
1936	60.35 years	-0.9%
1937	61.03 years	+1.1%
1938	62.39 years	+2.2%
1939	63.07 years	+1.1%
1940	63.22 years	+0.2%
1941	63.79 years	+0.9%
1942	64.54 years	+1.2%
1943	64.36 years	-0.3%
1944	65.06 years	+1.1%
1945	65.59 years	+0.8%
1946	66.13 years	+0.8%
1947	66.8 years	+1.0%
1948	67.22 years	+0.6%
1949	67.63 years	+0.6%
1950	68.07 years	+0.6%
1951	68.17 years	+0.2%
1952	68.38 years	+0.3%
1953	68.71 years	+0.5%
1954	69.5 years	+1.1%
1955	69.56 years	+0.1%
1956	69.64 years	+0.1%
1957	69.42 years	-0.3%
1958	69.67 years	+0.4%
1959	69.9 years	+0.3%
1960	69.83 years	-0.1%
1961	70.25 years	+0.6%
1962	70.12 years	-0.2%
1963	69.94 years	-0.2%
1964	70.2 years	+0.4%
1965	70.25 years	+0.1%
1966	70.21 years	-0.1%
1967	70.52 years	+0.4%
1968	70.2 years	-0.5%
1969	70.48 years	+0.4%
1970	70.73 years	+0.4%
1971	71.1 years	+0.5%
1972	71.18 years	+0.1%
1973	71.4 years	+0.3%
1974	71.96 years	+0.8%
1975	72.54 years	+0.8%
1976	72.84 years	+0.4%
1977	73.23 years	+0.5%
1978	73.41 years	+0.2%
1979	73.83 years	+0.6%
1980	73.73 years	-0.1%
1981	74.12 years	+0.5%
1982	74.46 years	+0.5%
1983	74.55 years	+0.1%
1984	74.67 years	+0.2%
1985	74.65 years	-0.0%
1986	74.73 years	+0.1%
1987	74.86 years	+0.2%
1988	74.83 years	-0.0%
1989	75.11 years	+0.4%
1990	75.37 years	+0.4%
1991	75.52 years	+0.2%
1992	75.78 years	+0.3%
1993	75.57 years	-0.3%
1994	75.74 years	+0.2%
1995	75.85 years	+0.2%
1996	76.17 years	+0.4%
1997	76.5 years	+0.4%
1998	76.66 years	+0.2%
1999	76.67 years	+0.0%
2000	76.81 years	+0.2%
2001	76.92 years	+0.1%
2002	76.99 years	+0.1%
2003	77.14 years	+0.2%
2004	77.53 years	+0.5%
2005	77.53 years	-0.0%
2006	77.8 years	+0.3%
2007	78.05 years	+0.3%
2008	78.13 years	+0.1%
2009	78.48 years	+0.4%
2010	78.67 years	+0.2%
2011	78.7 years	+0.0%
2012	78.82 years	+0.1%
2013	78.82 years	+0.0%
2014	78.88 years	+0.1%
2015	78.72 years	-0.2%
2016	78.69 years	-0.0%
2017	78.65 years	-0.0%
2018	78.8 years	+0.2%
2019	78.92 years	+0.1%
2020	77.01 years	-2.4%
2021	76.38 years	-0.8%
2022	77.98 years	+2.1%
2023	79.3 years	+1.7%

United States compared with similar countries

United States's 79.3 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 98% of the median. (85 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1880s	39.41 years	39.41 years	39.41 years	1
1890s	45.21 years	45.21 years	45.21 years	1
1900s	50.59 years	49.3 years	52.8 years	9
1910s	53.32 years	47.2 years	55.3 years	10
1920s	58.03 years	55.4 years	59.4 years	10
1930s	60.97 years	59.6 years	63.07 years	10
1940s	65.43 years	63.22 years	67.63 years	10
1950s	69.1 years	68.07 years	69.9 years	10
1960s	70.2 years	69.83 years	70.52 years	10
1970s	72.22 years	70.73 years	73.83 years	10
1980s	74.57 years	73.73 years	75.11 years	10
1990s	75.98 years	75.37 years	76.67 years	10
2000s	77.54 years	76.81 years	78.48 years	10
2010s	78.77 years	78.65 years	78.92 years	10
2020s	77.67 years	76.38 years	79.3 years	4

Countries ranked near United States

60 Albania 79.6 years compare
61 Panama 79.59 years compare
62 Anguilla 79.31 years compare
64 Falkland Islands 79.21 years compare
65 Estonia 79.15 years compare
66 Northern Mariana Islands 78.81 years compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for United States

Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,069 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0261 units per person (2025)
Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy in United States?: Life expectancy in United States was 79.3 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest life expectancy recorded in United States?: The highest recorded value was 79.3 years in 2023.
What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in United States?: The lowest recorded value was 39.41 years in 1880.
How does United States rank for life expectancy?: United States ranks 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is life expectancy rising or falling in United States?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?: The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-marimekko/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator: Life expectancy
Unit: years
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 19,452 data points, 1543–2023
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.