Every U.S. state experienced a decline in life expectancy during 2020 – the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – data revealed Tuesday.
According to the report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, an overall decrease of 1.8 years came from 2019 to 2020 – the last year when the death data was completed. That shrunk life expectancy to 77 years old on average as compared to nearly 79 the year prior, the nation’s lowest average in nearly two decades.
The CDC previously reported 350,000 deaths due to the pandemic in 2020. The second-leading cause for death, behind the cited coronavirus, was “unintentional injuries” such as drug overdoses.
The data also revealed a state breakdown, with the highest life expectancy predominantly in the West and Northeast parts of the country. Southern states, meanwhile, showed the lowest life expectancy.
Hawaii took the crown as the top U.S. state for life expectancy – with people expected to live 80.7 years, while Mississippi claimed the lowest life expectancy at 71.9 years.
Trailing Hawaii in the top five was Washington, Minnesota, California and Massachusetts. Joining Mississippi in the bottom five included West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama and Kentucky. New York saw the biggest year-to-year decline in the data, dropping from an average of 80.7 years to 77.7 years in life expectancy.
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When broken down by state, Hawaii had the highest life expectancy at 80.7 years while Mississippi had the lowest at 71.9 years, the report said.
When comparing genders, women (80 years old average) had a far higher life expectancy rate than men (74.2 average). Every average in every U.S. State and Washington D.C. saw women’s life expectancy longer than men’s.
“Overall, life expectancy in the United States declined by 1.8 years from 2019 to 2020, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increases in unintentional injuries (mainly drug overdose deaths),” the authors wrote.
Here’s a look at the full rundown by state average (plus Washington DC):
1. Hawaii (80.7)
2. Washington (79.2)
3. Minnesota (79.1)
4. California (79.0)
5. Massachusetts (79.0)
6. New Hampshire (79.0)
7. Vermont (78.8)
8. Oregon (78.8)
9. Utah (78.6)
10. Connecticut (78.4)
11. Idaho (78.4)
12. Colorado (78.3)
13. Rhode Island (78.2)
14. Maine (77.8)
15. New York (77.7)
16. Nebraska (77.7)
17. Wisconsin (77.7)
18. Virginia (77.6)
19. Florida (77.5)
20. New Jersey (77.5)
21. Iowa (77.5)
22. North Dakota (76.9)
23. Montana (76.8)
24. Maryland (76.8)
25. Pennsylvania (76.8)
26. Illinois (76.8)
27. Delaware (76.7)
28. South Dakota (76.7)
29. Alaska (76.6)
30. Texas (76.5)
31. Kansas (76.4)
32. Wyoming (76.3)
33. Arizona (76.3)
34. Nevada (76.3)
35. North Carolina (76.1)
36. Michigan (76.0)
37. Georgia (75.6)
38. Ohio (75.3)
39. District of Columbia (75.3)
40. Missouri (75.1)
41. Indiana (75.0)
42. South Carolina (74.8)
43. New Mexico (74.5)
44. Oklahoma (74.1)
45. Arkansas (73.8)
46. Tennessee (73.8)
47. Kentucky (73.5)
48. Alabama (73.2)
49. Louisiana (73.1)
50. West Virginia (72.8)
51. Mississippi (71.9)
