American Millennials Are Dying at an Alarming Rate
4 days ago
- #public health
- #millennials
- #mortality rates
- About 3 million Americans die annually, with a mortality rate significantly higher than other rich countries.
- Nearly half of deaths among Americans under 65 wouldn't occur if the U.S. matched peer countries' death rates.
- COVID-19 worsened the U.S. mortality disadvantage, but the trend was already growing pre-pandemic.
- In 2023, there were about 700,000 'missing Americans'—deaths that wouldn't have happened in peer countries.
- Theories for higher U.S. mortality include deindustrialization, weak social safety nets, healthcare issues, and gun laws.
- Americans aged 25-44 (millennials and Gen Z) face a unique post-pandemic mortality crisis.
- Early adults' death rates from causes like drug overdoses, car crashes, and chronic diseases have surged.
- Economic and health inequities, including cuts to Medicaid, exacerbate the mortality gap for younger Americans.
- Millennials and Gen Z voters will make up half the electorate in 2028, highlighting the urgency of policy action.