Health library

Health resources
Health library

See how life expectancy in the U.S. has changed since 1900.

Reviewed 1/16/2024

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.

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.