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Back to health librarySee how life expectancy in the U.S. has changed since 1900.
Reviewed 1/27/2023
Life expectancy at birth
See how life expectancy in the U.S. has changed since 1900.
1900
- Average: 47.3 years.
- Men: 46.3 years.
- Women: 48.3 years.
1950
- Average: 68.2 years.
- Men: 65.6 years.
- Women: 71.1 years.
1960
- Average: 69.7 years.
- Men: 66.6 years.
- Women: 73.1 years.
1970
- Average: 70.8 years.
- Men: 67.1 years.
- Women: 74.7 years.
1980
- Average: 73.7 years.
- Men: 70.0 years.
- Women: 77.4 years.
1990
- Average: 75.4 years.
- Men: 71.8 years.
- Women: 78.8 years.
2000
- Average: 76.8 years.
- Men: 74.1 years.
- Women: 79.3 years.
2010
- Average: 78.7 years.
- Men: 76.3 years.
- Women: 81.0 years.
2020
- Average: 77.0 years.
- Men: 74.2 years.
- Women: 79.9 years.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Sources
- National Center for Health Statistics. "Health, United States, 2020-2021."https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2020-2021/LExpMort.pdf.
- National Center for Health Statistics. "Mortality in the United States, 2020."https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db427.htm#section_1.