by I. Edwards
Even 4 years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, California residents aren’t dwelling so long as they used to.
New analysis printed July 9 within the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation reveals that although the state’s life expectancy is enhancing, it hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic ranges. In 2024, the common life expectancy in California was 80.54 years, almost one 12 months shorter than in 2019, when it was 81.4 years, The New York Occasions reported.
The drop in life expectancy in the course of the pandemic was sharp—almost three years—and lots of consultants thought it will bounce again simply as quick. However the brand new information reveals that restoration has been gradual, and never simply due to COVID-19.
“Four years after the beginning of the pandemic, for the largest state in the country to still have a deficit—that’s mind-blowing,” mentioned lead writer Hannes Schwandt, a well being economist at Northwestern College. “Really quite a tragedy.”
Life expectancy is the common variety of years a new child can anticipate to stay based mostly on demise charges on the time. It is not a prediction for a person, however it offers a snapshot of public well being, The Occasions mentioned.
Within the U.S., life expectancy dropped from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.4 years in 2021.
Whereas nationwide information for 2024 is not obtainable but, California’s numbers give a clue about the place the nation could be headed.
Researchers used information from the U.S. Census Bureau and California demise information to take a look at life expectancy throughout completely different teams.
They discovered that low-income neighborhoods had the largest drops in life expectancy in the course of the pandemic. However by 2024, the hole between wealthy and poor areas was about the identical because it was earlier than the pandemic—simply over 5.5 years.
As was the case earlier than the pandemic, Black and Hispanic Californians nonetheless had the biggest life expectancy deficits, The Occasions mentioned.
Black life expectancy in 2024 was 1.48 years beneath 2019 ranges.
Hispanic life expectancy was 1.44 years beneath 2019.
White and Asian populations additionally had declines, however not as giant—0.63 and 1.06 years, respectively.
Earlier than the pandemic, Hispanic Californians lived longer than white Californians. That hole has narrowed from 1.98 years longer in 2019 to simply 1.17 years in 2024.
What’s driving these traits is not totally clear, the researchers mentioned. However one main issue is the rise in drug overdoses, particularly from fentanyl.
Whereas this examine targeted solely on California, it might be a harbinger for the remainder of the nation.
Extra info:
Hannes Schwandt et al, The Failure of Life Expectancy to Absolutely Rebound to Prepandemic Ranges, JAMA (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.10439
The World Well being Group has extra on the affect of COVID-19 on folks’s livelihoods.
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