Pennsylvania Life Expectancy is Declining – Here’s What It Is
Life expectancy rates vary over the years, but the numbers have been in the news lately, and not for a good reason. U.S. life expectancy has declined two years in a row. That includes the life expectancy of Pennsylvania residents.
LifeExtension.com states that, “For the first time in a generation, Americans born today can expect to die sooner than their parents.” Over the past two years, U.S. life expectancy has experienced the biggest decrease since 1923, according to the site. “Thorny issues like drug overdoses — not to mention our recent international health catastrophe — were among the key factors for the decline,” they state, referring to the pandemic. Even so, the low life expectancy rates are actually a pattern in America. As the site explains, “However, even prior to 2020, the U.S. ranked No. 40 for life expectancy, lagging behind many wealthy nations and even countries such as Kuwait, Estonia, and Panama. In 2019, Americans could expect to live to 78.5, while our northern neighbors in Canada could expect to live until 82.2, according to the World Health Organization.” That’s not great news.
Hawaii is the best state for longevity, according to LifeExtension.com’s study, with a life expectancy of 80.7 years. Still not as high as Canada, but we’ll take it. Other states with good numbers include Minnesota, Vermont, Washington and New Hampshire.
So, what is the current life expectancy of Pennsylvania residents? 76.8 years. We are ranked No. 34 out of all the states for health and life expectancy. We can do better than that! Find more information and the full study here.