Life Expectancy Has Declined For Montana and the U.S.

ICYMI: A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that life expectancy numbers have changed for all 50 states.

The report may have been published in 2022, but the information is still remarkable. According to a CDC report with data from the year 2020 (which is the most recent information), the life expectancy for people in all 50 states has gone down.

❓The questions: 

• What is the life expectancy of a Montanan?
• How much has life expectancy gone down for Montanans?
• How does Montana compare to the rest of the United States for life expectancy?

Related: The Ranking of Montana's Top 10 Causes of Death

☑️Answer: Current Life Expectancy for Montana

A Montanan has a life expectancy of 76.8 years, according to the most recent CDC data, with males having a life expectancy of 74.2 years, and females having a life expectancy of 79.6 years.

☑️Answer: How Much Life Expectancy Has Gone Down for Montana

If you compare data from 2019 and 2020, Montana saw a decrease in life expectancy of 1.6 years. In 2019 the life expectancy was 78.4 years.

☑️Answer: How Montana Compares to the United States

When the states are ranked for life expectancy at birth, Montana is ranked #23 out of 51 (including the District of Columbia). When ranked based on life expectancy at age 65, Montana's ranking improves to #20 out of 51.

When looking at Figure 1. above, you can also see that the U.S. life expectancy is indicated as 77.0 years. That means that Montana is below the national life expectancy.

For further related reading, take a look at Montana's top-ranked causes of death. While Montana may be in the top half of the United States for life expectancy, there is also notable data about where Montana stands in comparison to other states for certain causes of death.