Report: Georgia Ranked 37th For Life Expectancy Thanks To COVID, Drug Overdose Deaths

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square Georgia

September 13, 2022

(The Center Square) — A new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found Georgia ranked 37th for life expectancy.

Georgia's life expectancy in 2020 stood at 75.6 years — 72.8 years for men and 78.3 years for women. That is down from a life expectancy of 77.4 years in 2019.

The Peach State ranks in the middle of the pack of neighboring states. Florida (No. 19) performed the best, followed by North Carolina (35), South Carolina (42), Tennessee (46) and Alabama (48).

Hawaii topped the list with a life expectancy of 80.7 years, while Mississippi ranked at the bottom with a life expectancy of 71.9 years.

"Overall, life expectancy in the United States declined by 1.8 years from 2019 to 2020, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increases in unintentional injuries," the report found. It characterizes "unintentional injuries" as "mainly drug overdose deaths."

Like the entire country, Georgia has seen an increase in overdose deaths, specifically from fentanyl.

According to state officials, "drug overdose deaths in the state increased by 55.9% from 2019 to 2021. Officials say opioids — mainly fentanyl — are behind the increase, as fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased by 218.4%."

In May, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 500, a measure that opens the door to $636 million for state and local governments to strengthen their opioid treatment and prevention efforts. The money is part of a $26 billion multistate opioid settlement with the nation's three major pharmaceutical distributors — Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen — and opioid manufacturer and marketer Johnson & Johnson.

The legislation bans local governments from pursuing future legal action against the companies related to the opioid crisis. State officials say the move ensures the state receives the maximum settlement dollars available.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Georgia is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.