WHO Global Health Observatory · 2023 data
Life Expectancy in the United States
Life expectancy at birth in the United States was 78.5 years in 2023 according to WHO: 76.2 for men and 80.9 for women. A 40-year-old man in the United States has on average about 39 more years, a woman about 42.
- At birth, both sexes
- 78.5 years
- Men
- 76.2 years
- Women
- 80.9 years
- World rank
- 47 of 185
- Women minus men
- +4.7 years
Data year 2023 · Source: WHO Global Health Observatory (accessed 2026-10-06), CC BY 4.0 · Last updated 2026-10-17
United States · male · age 40
Years ahead, on average
At 40 in the United States, the average man has about 39.0 more years, to around age 79.
- Years ahead
- 39.0
- Weeks ahead
- 2,033
- Days ahead
- 14,233
Same age and sex, compared
Statistical average for everyone your age and sex in that country in 2023, not a forecast for you. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory life tables, 2023.
For entertainment and statistics only – not a medical prediction.
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Life expectancy by age in the United States (2023)
| Age | Men: years ahead | Men: expected age | Women: years ahead | Women: expected age | Both: years ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 76.2 | 76.2 | 80.9 | 80.9 | 78.5 |
| 1 | 75.7 | 76.7 | 80.3 | 81.3 | 77.9 |
| 5 | 71.8 | 76.8 | 76.3 | 81.3 | 74.0 |
| 10 | 66.8 | 76.8 | 71.4 | 81.4 | 69.0 |
| 15 | 61.9 | 76.9 | 66.4 | 81.4 | 64.1 |
| 20 | 57.1 | 77.1 | 61.5 | 81.5 | 59.3 |
| 25 | 52.5 | 77.5 | 56.7 | 81.7 | 54.5 |
| 30 | 47.9 | 77.9 | 51.9 | 81.9 | 49.9 |
| 35 | 43.4 | 78.4 | 47.1 | 82.1 | 45.3 |
| 40 | 39.0 | 79.0 | 42.4 | 82.4 | 40.7 |
| 45 | 34.6 | 79.6 | 37.8 | 82.8 | 36.2 |
| 50 | 30.2 | 80.2 | 33.2 | 83.2 | 31.7 |
| 55 | 26.0 | 81.0 | 28.8 | 83.8 | 27.4 |
| 60 | 22.1 | 82.1 | 24.5 | 84.5 | 23.3 |
| 65 | 18.4 | 83.4 | 20.4 | 85.4 | 19.4 |
| 70 | 14.9 | 84.9 | 16.5 | 86.5 | 15.8 |
| 75 | 11.6 | 86.6 | 12.8 | 87.8 | 12.3 |
| 80 | 8.6 | 88.6 | 9.5 | 89.5 | 9.1 |
| 85+ | 6.1 | 91.1 | 6.5 | 91.5 | 6.3 |
The calculator above interpolates between these rows for your exact age. 85+ is an open age group.
United States compared with its neighbors and the world
| Country | At birth | Women | Men | Women at 65: years ahead | Men at 65: years ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 78.5 | 80.9 | 76.2 | 20.4 | 18.4 |
| Canada | 81.4 | 83.4 | 79.3 | 21.8 | 19.6 |
| Mexico | 75.3 | 78.3 | 72.3 | 18.5 | 16.8 |
| Brazil | 75.9 | 79.0 | 72.8 | 19.1 | 16.7 |
| World average | 73.3 | 76.1 | 70.6 | 18.8 | 16.0 |
WHO vs. CDC: why the numbers differ a little
The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS, part of the CDC) publishes its own life tables from U.S. records. For 2023, NCHS reports 78.4 years at birth (81.1 for women, 75.8 for men), close to the WHO estimate of 78.5. The newest NCHS figure is for 2024: 79.0 years (81.4 for women, 76.5 for men), the highest ever recorded in the U.S. WHO uses one harmonized method for all countries, so its numbers are best for comparing countries; NCHS numbers are the official U.S. figures.
Source: NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (published January 2026, data year 2024) and NCHS life expectancy. This page’s calculator and tables use the WHO 2023 data so that every country is measured the same way.
How long people live in the United States
In 2023, a baby born in the United States could expect to live 78.5 years on average: 80.9 for girls and 76.2 for boys. That is 5.2 years above the world average of 73.3 and puts the United States at number 47 of the 185 countries in the WHO data. Within the WHO Americas region, the United States ranks 7 of 34 countries. It is ahead of Mexico and Brazil; it is behind Canada.
Why the number grows as you get older
Life expectancy at birth includes the risks of the first years of life. Someone who has reached 65 in the United States has already come through them, so the average expected age for 65-year-olds is 84.4, not 78.5. Men of 65 have 18.4 years ahead on average and women 20.4. Enter your own age in the calculator to see the number for people like you, or use the life expectancy clock to watch your time ahead tick.
More countries
See all 185 countries in the life expectancy by country ranking, browse the country pages, or read how the numbers are calculated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the life expectancy in the USA?
According to the WHO, life expectancy at birth in the United States was 78.5 years in 2023 for both sexes combined. That ranks the United States 47 of 185 countries in the WHO data; the world average was 73.3.
What is the life expectancy for men in the USA?
76.2 years at birth in 2023 (WHO). A man who has reached 40 has on average 39.0 more years, and a man of 65 has 18.4 more years, to about age 83.4.
What is the life expectancy for women in the USA?
80.9 years at birth in 2023 (WHO). A woman of 40 has on average 42.4 more years, and a woman of 65 has 20.4 more years, to about age 85.4.
How many more years at 40, 50 and 65?
For both sexes combined in the United States, the WHO 2023 life table gives 40.7 more years at 40, 31.7 at 50 and 19.4 at 65. The full table by age for men and women is above.
Why do women live longer than men in the USA?
The gap in the United States is 4.7 years at birth. Across the world, women live longer on average because of a mix of biology and behavior, such as higher smoking, alcohol use and accident rates among men.
Is this a prediction for me?
No. These are averages for the whole population of the United States in 2023, if the chances at every age stayed as they were that year. Your own health, habits and luck can put you years above or below them.
Why does the WHO number differ from the CDC?
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics calculates U.S. life expectancy from U.S. records (78.4 years for 2023, 79.0 for 2024). The WHO estimates every country with one method so that countries can be compared (78.5 for 2023). Small differences of a few tenths of a year are normal.