Georgia residents staying alive longer, CDC reports
FILE - Senior citizens dance in a file image dated Feb. 22, 2005, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Georgia has seen an increase of more than a year in life expectancy based on newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What they're saying:
The statewide average rose to nearly 76 years in 2022, up significantly from a little more than 74 years the previous year.
Women in Georgia live roughly six years longer than men on average—nearly 79 years compared to approximately 73 years for men. Nationally, the CDC reports life expectancy has climbed to almost 78 years.
Researchers attribute the increase largely to lower mortality rates from infectious disease.
Hawaii has the highest life expectancy of 80 years and West Virginia has the lowest at 72.2 years.
Life expectancy increased in 48 states and D.C. from 2021 to 2022, but decreased in the states of Maine and Vermont, according to the report.
Additionally, females have a higher life expectancy than males in all states and Washington, D.C.
The largest increases were observed in South Carlina and Georgia.