Data from the CDC shows that the life expectancy rate in the US has increased for the first time in four years.

The data shows that as of 2018, the life expectancy rate jumped to 78.7 years, which as a .1 increase from the year before.

For males specifically, the life expectancy rate is now marked at 76.2 and for females, the life expectancy rate is 81.2.

The CDC also ranks the 10 leading causes of death, starting with the most prevalent:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Unintentional injuries
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
5. Stroke
6. Alzheimer disease
7. Diabetes
8. Influenza and pneumonia
9. Kidney disease
10. Suicide

US News mentions that drug overdose-related deaths are also declining. However, overdose-related deaths as a result of ingesting synthetic opioids like fentanyl continue to rise. While drug-related deaths seem to be declining after reaching an all-time high in 2017, they are still more prevalent than in years past.

When it comes to infant deaths, the CDC states, “in 2018, a total of 21,467 deaths occurred in children under 1 year, which was 868 fewer infant deaths than in 2017.”

Infant deaths are also on the decline as federal data shows that they have decreased from 579.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 to 566.2 in 2018.

Because there are more than 320 million people living in the US, even a tenth of a percentage is significant because it represents a large number of people.