Causes of Excess Deaths in the US Compared With Other High-Income Countries - Takeaways - MDSpire

Causes of Excess Deaths in the US Compared With Other High-Income Countries

  • By

  • Jacob Bor

  • Rafeya V. Raquib

  • David Himmelstein

  • Steffie Woolhandler

  • Andrew C. Stokes

  • May 8, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    US life expectancy has significantly declined since 1980, ranking 50th globally in 2023 among high-income countries.

  • 2

    An estimated 13 million US deaths could have been prevented if mortality rates matched those of other affluent nations from 1980 to 2021.

  • 3

    The study analyzed excess US deaths from 1999 to 2022, identifying major causes and trends, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • 4

    From 1999 to 2022, the US experienced approximately 12.7 million excess deaths compared to other high-income countries.

  • 5

    The annual number of excess US deaths rose steadily until 2019 and surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking in 2021.

Original Source(s)

Causes of Excess Deaths in the US Compared With Other High-Income Countries

  • by Jacob Bor, Rafeya V. Raquib, David Himmelstein, Steffie Woolhandler, Andrew C. Stokes

  • May 8, 2026

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