Life expectancy at birth has declined for the second year in a row, in part due to the 21% increase in deaths from drug overdose (based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to the initial decline in 2015, there has not been a drop in life expectancy in the U.S. since 1993 – during a heightened period of the AIDS epidemic.
The decline in overall life expectancy was attributed to a decrease in the life expectancy of men from 76.3 to 76.1 years. Drug overdose rates are higher in men. The life expectancy for women remained level at 81.1 years.