Americans Rank Last in Life Expectancy Among English-Speaking Nations, New Study Reveals

A recent study has found that Americans continue to have the shortest life expectancy among English-speaking countries. The research, published in the BMJ Open journal, highlights that people in the United States are more likely to die at younger ages due to accidental deaths, homicides, and chronic diseases.

In contrast, Australians enjoy the longest life expectancy of any English-speaking nation, despite living in a country known for its dangerous wildlife, including sharks, spiders, and snakes. On average, Australian women live nearly four years longer than their American counterparts, while Australian men outlive American men by about five years.

The study also found that the United States lags behind other English-speaking nations such as Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand in terms of life expectancy. The researchers suggest that these findings should serve as motivation for Americans to set and achieve better health goals.

“Yes, we’re doing badly, but this study shows what can we aim for,” said Jessica Ho, a senior researcher and associate professor of sociology and demography at Penn State. “We know these gains in life expectancy are actually achievable because other large countries have already done it.”

The researchers analyzed data from the World Health Organization and the international Human Mortality Database, comparing life expectancy across English-speaking nations. The data revealed that the United States has consistently ranked last in life expectancy among these countries since the early 1990s.

Currently, American women have an average life expectancy of 81.5 years, while men have a life expectancy of 76.5 years. Meanwhile, the Irish have seen the largest improvements in life expectancy, with men’s lifespans increasing by about eight years and women’s by more than 6.5 years.

The study also pointed out that life expectancy within the United States varies significantly depending on the state in which a person lives. States like California and Hawaii have some of the highest life expectancies in the country, with women living 83 to 84 years and men living 77.5 to 78.4 years on average.

On the other hand, states in the American South have some of the lowest life expectancies observed among all the nations in the study, with women living an average of 72.6 to 80 years and men living an average of 69.3 to 74.4 years.

“One of the main drivers of why American longevity is so much shorter than in other high-income countries is our younger people die at higher rates from largely preventable causes of death, like drug overdose, car accidents and homicide,” said Ho.

She also noted that middle-aged Americans, particularly those aged 45 to 64, have higher death rates from drugs, alcohol, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease. “Some of the latter could be related to sedentary lifestyle, high rates of obesity, unhealthy diet, stress and a history of smoking,” Ho explained. “It’s likely that these patterns of unhealthy behaviors put Americans at a disadvantage in terms of their health and vitality.”

Australia’s success in achieving the highest life expectancy among English-speaking nations is attributed to several factors. Ho pointed out that despite being a large country where many people use cars for transportation and own firearms, Australia has implemented policies like gun control laws that have significantly reduced gun deaths and homicides. This, in turn, has helped Australia attain a high ranking in life expectancy.

“What the study shows is that a peer country like Australia far outperforms the U.S. and was able to get its young adult mortality under control,” Ho said. “It has really low levels of gun deaths and homicides, lower levels of drug and alcohol use and better performance on chronic diseases, the latter of which points to lifestyle factors, health behaviors and health care performance.”

In conclusion, Ho emphasized that Australia serves as a model for the United States, demonstrating how Americans can improve their life expectancy and reduce geographic inequality in health outcomes. “Australia is a model for how Americans can do better and achieve not only a higher life expectancy but also lower geographic inequality in life expectancy,” she said.

This study sheds light on the disparities in life expectancy between the United States and other English-speaking nations, offering insights into how public health strategies and policies could be improved to enhance the longevity and well-being of Americans.