Georgia life expectancy rises, but state still trails behind the nation

Georgia’s life expectancy increased in 2022, rising by 1.6 years and outpacing most other states, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the change follows two years of declines tied to the pandemic and overdose deaths, though Georgia still trails much of the nation.

The CDC lists Georgia’s average life expectancy at 75.9 years. The increase is significant following the drops in 2020 and 2021, but Georgia remains 36th among states and the District of Columbia.

The national average life expectancy reached 77.5 years in 2022 and continued to climb the next year. Georgia’s rebound follows the same general pattern. Health officials point to two main reasons: fewer COVID-19 deaths and a decline in fatal overdoses.

“More people were vaccinated, more people were protected and more got access to treatments, including Paxlovid,” said Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam Shirek, in comments reported by the AJC.

Overdose deaths also fell. Nationally, fatalities dropped about 26% between April 2023 and April 2024. Georgia recorded a 21% decline over the same period, according to the AJC. Dr. Justine Welsh, medical director of the Addiction Alliance of Georgia, said opioid-settlement funding helped expand access to treatment and naloxone.

“We’re finally starting to see what sustained investment in treatment and prevention can do,” Welsh told the AJC. “Efforts like this have to continue if we want the trend to keep moving in the right direction.”

Despite the improvement, Georgia still faces gaps in care. Many rural counties lack enough primary care providers, and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease remain widespread. These conditions continue to influence life expectancy across the state.

Public health officials told the AJC that the new numbers are promising but not secure. They say progress may slow if vaccination rates slip, treatment programs lose funding or public health priorities shift.

For now, the 2022 increase points to fewer preventable deaths and broader use of available treatments. 

State officials and researchers say the trend shows movement toward better outcomes, but stress that Georgia’s progress is only one part of a longer effort to improve residents’ health.