In the United States alone, there were almost 417,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2021. A year afterward, in 2022, there were around 187,000, and a year after that, in 2023, there were about 50,000.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a massive surge in mortality in the U.S., resulting in reduced life expectancy. But today, life expectancy is recovering, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After dropping to 76.4 years in 2021, it increased by 1.1 years in 2022 (the CDC reported in March) and by 0.9 years in 2023 (the CDC reported in December), recovering to almost pre-pandemic levels.
The consecutive rebounds in 2022 and 2023 are thanks to declines in the age-adjusted death rates of almost all leading causes of death, from heart disease to COVID-19. The rebound in 2023 also coincides with a decreasing rate of drug deaths, according to another recent report by the CDC, indicating a downward trend in fatal overdoses.
