Life expectancy falls more drastically in the US in 2020 than in other high income countries

Average person in US lives 4.69 years less than those in comparably wealthy countries, reports Rory Sullivan

A man walks past a memorial in New York City to those who have died during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Getty Images)

Life expectancy in the US decreased much more sharply last year than in other wealthy countries, new research has revealed.

As a result, the average person in the US now lives 4.69 years less than their peers in 16 comparable countries, which include Denmark, New Zealand, South Korea and the UK.

Between 2018 and 2020, life expectancy in the US dropped by 1.87 years to 76.87 years, while the peer country average only decreased by 0.22 years to 81.56 years.