By MIKE STOBBE, Associated PressNEW 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. Death rates declined across all racial and ethnic groups, and in both men and women. Deaths from unintentional injuries — a category that includes drug overdoses — fell the most, dropping more than 14% in 2024.