US life expectancy calculator

United States life expectancy in 2024

According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), U.S. period life expectancy at birth in 2024 was 79.0 years overall, 81.4 years for females, and 76.5 years for males. The female–male difference was 4.9 years. These figures summarize 2024 age-specific mortality rates; they do not forecast the lifespan of a person born in 2024.

Age 65 is a conditional measure: it describes the average additional years for people who have reached 65, under the mortality rates observed in 2024. It is not calculated by subtracting 65 from life expectancy at birth.

Source: NCHS Data Brief 548, Life Expectancy in the United States, 2024. NCHS reports the underlying values from the National Vital Statistics System mortality data.

Why life expectancy at 65 differs from the birth figure

Life expectancy at birth includes mortality risks at every age, including infancy and childhood. Someone who has reached 65 has already survived those earlier risks. A life table therefore calculates remaining life expectancy from the people alive at 65, rather than subtracting their age from the at-birth average.

This distinction matters for anyone asking how many years they may have left. A U.S. national period table can offer a population-level benchmark by age and sex, but it still cannot account for an individual's medical history, location, or circumstances.