PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The average Rhode Islander’s overall life expectancy dropped by 1.3 years between 2019 and 2020, according to data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The latest National Vital Statistics Report reveals that the life expectancy of a Rhode Island resident at birth now averages 78.2 years.
The average life expectancy among men and women in Rhode Island varied significantly, with men living 75.5 years and women living 80.9 years, according to the report.
Rhode Island ranks 13th in the nation and 5th in New England when it comes to highest life expectancy.
Massachusetts ranked 5th in 2020 with an average life expectancy of 79 years, which the report said is 1.4 years less than the year prior.
The only New England state that ranks behind Rhode Island is Maine. Ranking 14th, the report said Maine’s average life expectancy is 77.8.
The longest life expectancy in the United States is in Hawaii, according to the report, where residents live 80.7 years on average. Mississippi has the shortest life expectancy at 71.9 years.
The average life expectancy nationwide dropped by 1.8 years, the report said. The CDC attributed the decline to “the COVID-19 pandemic and increases in unintentional injuries (mainly drug overdose deaths).”
