Illinois saw a 2.2 year drop in life expectancy during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Health News Illinois]

The drop from 79 years in 2019 to 76.8 years in 2020 was the eighth-highest drop among all states and the District of Columbia. Illinois is below the national average of 77 years, itself a decline of 1.8 during the period.

The life expectancy for Illinois men was 73.8 years in 2020, For women, it was 79.8 years.

All 50 states and the district saw life expectancy drop over that time, likely due to COVID-19 and increases in "unintentional injuries" such as drug overdoses, according to a CDC report. 

Hawaii had the highest life expectancy at 80.7 years, while Mississippi had the lowest at 71.9 years.

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