In 2024, life expectancy at birth was 79.0 years for the total U.S. population—an increase of 0.6 year from 78.4 in 2023. For females, life expectancy increased 0.3 year from 81.1 in 2023 to 81.4 in 2024. For males, life expectancy increased 0.7 year from 75.8 in 2023 to 76.5 in 2024. In 2024, the difference in life expectancy between females and males was 4.9
years, a decrease of 0.4 year from 2023.
In 2024, a total of 3,072,666 resident deaths were registered in the United States—18,298 fewer deaths than in 2023. The age-adjusted death rate for the total population decreased 3.8% in 2024 from 2023. Age-specific death rates decreased from 2023 to 2024 for all age groups 1 year and older except for the 5–14 age group. Age-adjusted death rates decreased from 2023 to 2024 for all race and Hispanic-origin groups for both females and males.
In 2024, life expectancy at age 65 for the total population was 19.7 years, an increase of 0.2 year from 2023. For females, life expectancy at age 65 increased 0.1 year from 20.7 in 2023 to 20.8 in 2024. For males, life expectancy at age 65 increased 0.2 year from 18.2 in 2023 to 18.4 in 2024. The difference in life expectancy at age 65 between females and males was 2.4 years in 2024, a decrease of 0.1 year from 2023.
In 2024, 9 of the 10 leading causes of death remained the same as in 2023. Suicide became the 10th leading cause of death in 2024. COVID-19, the 10th leading cause of death in 2023, dropped to the 15th leading cause in 2024.
The top leading cause of death in 2024 was heart disease, followed by cancer and unintentional injuries. The 10 leading causes accounted for 70.9% of all deaths in the United States.
In 2024, the number of infant deaths was 20,050, which was 95 fewer infant deaths than in 2023. The IMR of 552.5 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024 did not change significantly from 2023 (560.2). Among the 10 leading causes of infant death, the only significant change in IMR from 2023 to 2024 was the 7.5% decrease for sudden infant death syndrome.
The 10 leading causes of infant death in 2024 (congenital malformations, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, unintentional injuries, maternal complications, bacterial sepsis of newborn, cord and placental complications, respiratory distress of newborn, diseases of the circulatory system, and intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia) accounted for 65.8% of all infant deaths in the United States.
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