The life expectancy for the average U.S. citizen has hit a 25-year low, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Life expectancy for people born in the U.S. during 2021 stands at 76.4 years, the lowest on record since 1996. Life expectancy for those born in 2019 was 78.8 years — a drop of 2.4 years, according to CDC data.