Health in the United States

Health in the United States is generally poor when compared with other rich countries.  Since 1992 life expectancy increased very slowly and in 2020 and 2021 it fell from a high point of 79.1 years.  This was partly because of the Covid epidemic but  unlike in other countries it has continued to fall, and in 2022 it was 77.2 years.  Public health policies are not popular.   

Drug overdoses, alcohol use, suicides, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are all part of the cause.  Native and Black Americans have on average much shorter lives than White Americans.  It has the highest maternal and infant mortality, and one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

Although vaccination of children has been required since the 1850s rates of vaccination against Covid were 19th in the world in 2020.

Sexually transmitted diseases, especially  gonorrhoea and chlamydia are common with about 19 million new infections each year. 

It has much the greatest health care spending, both per person and as a share of GDP (17.8% in 2021), in the world, but it is the only rich country that doesn’t have health care coverage for everyone.

References