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U.S. life expectancy hit an all-time high in 2024, CDC says

By Associated Press  
   January 30, 2026

U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years in 2024 — the highest mark in American history. It's the result of not only the dissipation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also waning death rates from all the nation's top killers, including heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses. What's more, preliminary statistics suggest a continued improvement in 2025. "It's pretty much good news all the way around," said Robert Anderson, of the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC, which released the 2024 data on Thursday.

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