From 2020 to 2021, the average life expectancy for males in the United States fell from 74.2 to 73.5 years—the lowest it has been since 1998.
By 2022, the downward trend started to reverse, increasing to 74.8 years. Even so, it was still well below the high-water mark in 2019 when the average life expectancy was 76.3 years.
Experts attribute the decline to the COVID pandemic, during which the virus was the third leading cause of death in males in 2020 and 2021 and the fourth leading cause in 2022. By 2023, with increased vaccinations and better medical treatments, COVID-19 has fallen to the 10th leading cause of death overall.
Although the increase in life expectancy in 2022 was seen among all racial and ethnic groups, certain groups fared worse than others. This included Black males who proportionately had 25% more deaths per capita than White males and 40% more than Hispanic males.
Life Expectancy Yesterday and Today
Due to medical advancements, and improved hygiene and living conditions, life expectancy has risen significantly in the United States since the early 1900s. By the 1940s, it was uncommon to see life expectancy rates steadily increase year on year.
In rare instances where there was a decline (including 1943, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1980, 1988, and 1993), the drop was never more than 0.2 years. This included during the height of the AIDS pandemic in 1988 when life expectancy dropped by only 0.1 years among U.S. males.
So, what was seen between 2019 and 2021—when average life expectancy among males dropped by 2.8 years—is entirely unique in modern medical history.
While females in the U.S. were also affected, the impact of the pandemic was somewhat less, trimming 2.1 years from the average life expectancy.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 76.3 years | 74.2 years | 73.5 years | 74.8 years | 75.6 years |
| Females | 81.4 years | 79.9 years | 79.3 years | 80.2 years | 81.2 years |
Given the current trajectory, it may not be until 2025—a full five years—that the average life expectancy in males will return to its pre-pandemic. Women are expected to do so early.
Leading Causes of Death in Males
In 2023, a total of 1,616,765 males in the United States died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 1.4 million of these were males 65 years of age and over.
In recent decades, the leading causes of death were relatively consistent with slight variation. Only with the advent of COVID-19 in 2019 did that change.
Today, however, the number of COVID-related deaths has dropped dramatically, along with its standing among the leading causes of death. In 2023, a total of 39,319 men died of COVID-related complications, a 60% decline from just the year before.
Between 2019 and 2023, here are the five leading causes of death in males in the U.S.:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart disease | Heart disease | Heart disease | Heart disease | Heart disease |
| Cancer | Cancer | Cancer | Cancer | Cancer |
| Unintentional death | COVID-19 | COVID-19 | Unintentional death | Unintentional death |
| Chronic lower respiratory disease | Unintentional death | Unintentional death | COVID-19 | Stroke |
| Stroke | Stroke | Chronic lower respiratory disease | Stroke | Chronic lower respiratory disease |
Here is how the leading causes of death compare in 2023 (and what you can do to mitigate your risk):
Summary
After falling by nearly three years from 2019 to 2021, the average life expectancy among males in the U.S. rebounded in 2022. In 2023, the average life expectancy was reported to be 75.6 years—not yet as high as it was before the COVID pandemic but gradually approaching it.
Today, the five top causes of death in males are heart disease, cancer, unintentional death, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Due to advances in treatment and vaccination rates, COVID-19 fell from the fourth leading cause of death in 2022 to the tenth in 2023.
