In 2021, life expectancy in the United States fell to its lowest level since 1996 following the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the decline put life expectancy at 76.1 years. 2021 also broadened the disparity between men and women the most in over two decades, with men now expected to live six years less than women. According to the data, deaths from COVID-19 accounted for half of the overall decline, with heart disease and drug overdoses also contributing. The CDC said that COVID-19 was associated with over 460,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2021. Deaths from suicide were the fifth-biggest contributor to the 2021 drop in overall life expectancy. For men, suicide-related deaths were the third leading contributor. In 2020, life expectancy in the U.S. experienced its largest one-year drop since WWII, with COVID-19 accounting for almost 75 percent of the decline.