Shrinking Life Expectancy in the US

I enjoy listening to a foreign viewpoint on the BBC early on weekend mornings while WNIJ is still broadcasting it. This past Sunday I heard a startling story on “More or Less: Behind the Stats.” While most countries experienced a decrease in their life expectancies in the past year, the decrease in the USA exceeded that from COVID. In fact, of the 2.7-year decrease between 2019 and 2021, 1 entire year was not caused by COVID.

The 10:21 minute recording is loaded with statistics, but the conclusions are easy to understand.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0fldqhb

Here are some observations that astounded me:

The USA is 46th globally in life expectancy.

Poorest states have the lowest life expectancy. Mississippi is 71.9 years compared with Hawaii at 82.3 years. Mississippi would be 127th in the world; Hawaii, 12th.

Single biggest cause of decrease in life expectancy is “external causes” including violent deaths, accidents, and drug overdoses

In the US, 10% of adults in front seats of cars don’t wear seat belts; in the UK, that’s 2–3%.

Between 2019 and 2021, homicides increased 45%; 50% of these were suicides; most of the suicides were old males.

Drug deaths have increased by 1.7% per year from 1999 to 2014; by 9.6% per year from 2014–2019; and by 35% in 2020.

80% of all opiods used by adults in the world are in the US.

One of every 25 4-year-olds won’t live to the age of 40.

We American think ourselves as phenomenal, but are we phenomenally better or worse than residents of other countries?