Life expectancy in the United States dropped a full one year during the first half of 2020 mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has not seen a decline in life expectancy like this since World War II. Minorities suffered the biggest impact with African-Americans losing nearly three years and Hispanics nearly two. Life expectancy is considered how long a life will last on average for a child born today. Overall, the expectancy is now at 77.8 years. That’s down from 78.8 in 2019 with men at 75.1 years and women at 80.5.