NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years in 2024 — the highest mark in American history. Life expectancy, a fundamental measure of a population’s health, is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live, given death rates at that time. For decades, U.S. life expectancy rose at least a little bit almost every year, thanks to medical advances and public health measures. In 2021, life expectancy fell to just under 76 1/2 years. Death rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, and in both men and women.