US life expectancy rose last year, but it remains below its pre-pandemic level

US life expectancy rose by over a year in 2022 due to the waning pandemic, but it still lags behind pre-COVID levels. The increase is mainly attributed to the decline in COVID-19 deaths, which also resulted in it dropping to the fourth leading cause of death. However, the US continues to face challenges with drug overdose deaths and suicides, which reached record highs last year. US life expectancy remains lower than many other countries and has not rebounded as quickly.