Back in 1960, life expectancy in the US was 69.7 years, compared to 43.7 years earlier. At the turn of the century, the gap was closer to 76.8 to 71.4 years. However, as of 2021, Life expectancy in the US is 76.1, while in China it is 77.1, A full year ahead of the U.S.
Part of the reason China leads the way is that life expectancy in the U.S. fell more sharply during COVID-19 (from 78.8 in 2019 to 77.1 in 2021), while life expectancy in China actually increased (76.9 to 77.1). But COVID doesn’t explain the whole story.
“Unintentional injuries” — which include opioid overdoses and motor vehicle accidents — were the second largest contributor to the decline in life expectancy, accounting for 15.9 percent of the decline [between 2019 and 2021 in the US].
The progress China has made in health is truly remarkable. At the same time, the U.S. needs to better address thedesperate death” and bend the curve back to the positive direction.
