Sharp Drop in U.S. Life Expectancy Rankings by 2040
U.S. expected to fall from 43rd in 2016 to 64th by 2040, with an average life expectancy of 79.8
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The United States will have the largest drop in life expectancy rankings of all high-income countries by 2040, a new study says.
The U.S. will fall from 43rd in 2016 to 64th by 2040, with an average life expectancy of 79.8, and will be overtaken by China, which will rise 29 places to 39th, CNN reported. Compared to 2016, Americans will live only an average of 1.1 years longer in 2040, well below the average worldwide increase of 4.4 years.
By 2040, average longevity is predicted to be highest in Spain (85.8 years), followed by Japan (85.7), Singapore (85.4), and Switzerland (85.2), CNN reported. Life expectancy in the U.S. has declined in each of the past two years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That's the first multi-year decrease since 1962 and 1963.
Drug-related deaths and obesity are believed to be major factors in the decline, CNN reported. There were 63,600 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2016, and nearly 40 percent of adults and 18.5 percent of children are obese.
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