A new study published in BMJ Open and co-authored by University of Wisconsin–Madison professors Héctor Pifarré i Arolas and Jason Fletcher reports on Apr. 10 that people born between 1941 and 2000 experienced increased longevity across all U.S. states and regions.
This research challenges earlier estimates that suggested little or no progress in life expectancy, especially in some Southern states, over the past century. The findings are significant because they suggest a more uniform improvement in lifespan than previously thought, which could influence future health policy discussions.
The study uses updated data from the United States Mortality Database to analyze trends since the mid-20th century. According to the authors, there was rapid convergence among states during this period as Southern states made notable gains in child survival rates, helping them catch up with other parts of the country. This was followed by a second phase where this convergence stalled during the latter half of the century.
Previous research led by Theodore Holford at Yale School of Public Health claimed that some Southern states saw minimal or even negative changes in cohort life expectancy after mid-century, while places like New York advanced rapidly. However, Fletcher and his colleagues found less disparity than those estimates suggested; for example, their analysis showed Mississippi women gained about seven years in life expectancy over fifty years—a substantial difference from earlier reports claiming no gain.
Fletcher said: "Understanding that all states experienced gains—especially the substantial improvements in the South earlier in the century—helps shift the conversation toward what drove those successes and why progress has slowed since. That's where the real policy lessons are." The authors hope their work will guide further research into how state-specific policies and living conditions have shaped these trends.
