US deaths are down and life expectancy is up, but improvements are slowing

AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another — much smaller — improvement this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday released a report on U.S. deaths in 2023. It showed a decline in death rates for almost all of the leading causes, most notably in COVID-19, heart disease and drug overdoses. That translated to adding nearly a year the estimated lifespan of Americans. It means life expectancy was 78 1/2 last year overall. It’s higher for women than men.