The United States is the worst among English-speaking countries for life expectancy Meanwhile, Australia has the highest life expectancy Accidental deaths, homicides and chronic diseases are all a drain on U.S. lifespan, experts say WEDNESDAY, Aug.
14, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Americans continue to rank dead last in life expectancy among English-speaking countries, a new study finds. People in the United States more often fall prey at younger ages to accidental deaths, homicides and chronic diseases, researchers reported Aug. 13 in the BMJ Open journal.
On the other hand, Australians had the longest life expectancy of any English speakers, despite their country teeming with deadly sharks, spiders and snakes. Australian life expectancy is nearly four more years longer than the United States for women and five more years longer for men. The United States also trails Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and New Zealand in life expectancy, researchers found.
However, they said the findings should be seen as an incentive for goal-setting for Americans. “Yes, we’re doing badly, but this study shows what can we aim for,” said senior researcher Jessica Ho , an 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.
” For the study, researchers compared life expectancy between English-speaking nations using data from the World Health Organization and the i.