From 2020 to 2021, the average life expectancy for males in the United States fell from 74.2 to 73.5 years—the lowest it has been since 1998.
By 2022, the downward trend started to reverse, increasing to 74.8 years. Even so, it was still well below the high-water mark in 2019 when the average life expectancy was 76.3 years.
Experts attribute the decline to theCOVID pandemic, during which the virus was the third leading cause of death in males in 2020 and 2021 and the fourth leading cause in 2022.By 2023, with increased vaccinations and better medical treatments, COVID-19 has fallen to the 10th leading cause of death overall.
Although the increase in life expectancy in 2022 was seen among all racial and ethnic groups, certain groups fared worse than others. This included Black males who proportionately had 25% more deaths per capita than White males and 40% more than Hispanic males.
Life Expectancy Yesterday and Today
Due to medical advancements, andimproved hygieneand living conditions,life expectancyhas risen significantly in the United States since the early 1900s.By the 1940s, it was uncommon to see life expectancy rates steadily increase year on year.
While females in the U.S. were also affected, the impact of the pandemic was somewhat less, trimming 2.1 years from the average life expectancy.
Given the current trajectory, it may not be until 2025—a full five years—that the average life expectancy in males will return to its pre-pandemic. Women are expected to do so earlier.
Leading Causes of Death in Males
In 2023, a total of 1,616,765 males in the United States died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 1.4 million of these were males 65 years of age and over.
In recent decades, the leading causes of death were relatively consistent with slight variation. Only with the advent of COVID-19 in 2019 did that change.
Today, however, the number of COVID-related deaths has dropped dramatically, along with its standing among the leading causes of death. In 2023, a total of 39,319 men died of COVID-related complications, a 60% decline from just the year before.
Between 2019 and 2023, here are the five leading causes of death in males in the U.S.:
20192020202120222023Heart diseaseHeart diseaseHeart diseaseHeart diseaseHeart diseaseCancerCancerCancerCancerCancerUnintentional deathCOVID-19COVID-19Unintentional deathUnintentional deathChronic lower respiratory diseaseUnintentional deathUnintentional deathCOVID-19StrokeStrokeStrokeChronic lower respiratory diseaseStrokeChronic lower respiratory diseaseHere is how the leading causes of death compare in 2023 (and what you can do to mitigate your risk):
Here is how the leading causes of death compare in 2023 (and what you can do to mitigate your risk):
1
Heart Disease
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Total deaths in men (2023):680,979Number of deaths per 100,000 people:204
In the United States, heart disease death rates are nearly three times higher among men than women.
What You Can Do
Toreduce your risk of heart disease:
2
Cancer
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Total deaths in men (2023):613,352Number of deaths per 100,000 people:184
Though the cancer death rate tends to decline more among males than females annually, the actual number of deaths is 26% higher in males, mainly fromlung,prostate,pancreatic, andcolon cancer.
There are several things you can do tolower your risk:
3
Unintentional Death
Falls, dizziness, and balance problems are common in fibromyalgia.RyersonClark/Getty Images
Total deaths in men (2023):222,725Number of deaths per 100,000 people:67
While heart disease, cancer, and stroke are largely aging-related, unintentional death is more common in adults under 65—and is, in fact, the leading cause of death in people under 45.
Unintentional deaths include falls, drowning, accidental poisoning, residential fires, motor vehicle crashes, and alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
In Western countries, men are almost four times more likely than women to have an accidental death due to motor vehicle accidents, drug overdose, homicide, suicide, or sports accidents.
Make a habit of the following to reduce your risk:
4
Stroke
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Total deaths in men (2023):162,640Number of deaths per 100,000 people:49
Strokeand stroke-related deaths tend to affect women more than men. With that said, stroke rates are higher in males during midlife and only start to equalize when men and women are in their 80s.
Astrokeoccurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is disrupted. A blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel can cause a stroke. High blood pressure greatly increases the risk of a stroke. High cholesterol and diabetes also contribute.
Roughly 62% of these deaths were among people 65 and over.
Toreduce your risk of stroke:
5
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
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Total deaths in men (2023):145,357Number of deaths per 100,000 people:44
While unintentional death is a more common cause of death in males, it is a less common cause in males 65 and older.For this age group, chronic lower respiratory disease is a more common cause.
Chronic lower respiratory disease involves four major diseases:chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),chronic bronchitis,emphysema, andasthma.
To reduce your risk of COPD and other chronic lower respiratory diseases:
6
COVID-19
Total deaths in men (2023):49,931Number of deaths per 100,000 people:15
WhileCOVID-19may not kill as many people as it did during the height of the pandemic, it is still a major cause of concern for older adults.
The lion’s share of deaths occurred in people 65 and over, with the highest mortality rate seen in adults 85 and over.Males die at a rate 50% higher than females, a phenomenon not only seen in the U.S. but around the world.
If you are older, there are things you should do to avoid getting COVID-19:
For older adults and those at risk of severe complications from COVID-19, the oral drugs Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) andLagevrio (molnupiravir), or the intravenous drugVerklury (remdesivir)may help reduce the risk of hospitalization and death if started within five to seven days of the appearance of symptoms.
7
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
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Health disparitiesbetween different racial and ethnic groups directly impact the mortality rate and average life expectancy in males in the United States.
Factors that can significantly lower life expectancy include:
These factors are prevalent in certain racial or ethnic groups, most predominately Black males and American Indian/Alaskan Native males. The impact is reflected in themortality rate, measured in the number of deaths per 100,000 men.
In short, the mortality rate among Black men in the United States is almost three times greater than Asian men.
Summary
Today, the five top causes of death in males are heart disease, cancer, unintentional death, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Due to advances in treatment and vaccination rates, COVID-19 fell from the fourth leading cause of death in 2022 to the tenth in 2023.
35 Sources
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