The Atlantic

Kentucky Is Home to the Greatest Declines in Life Expectancy

In eight counties in the state, people can expect to die younger than their parents.
Source: Maurio Tama / Getty

Updated on May 8 at 12:40 p.m. ET

In 13 counties across the U.S., Americans can now expect to die younger than their parents did. And the eight counties with the largest declines in life expectancy since 1980 are all in the state of Kentucky.

That’s according to a new study out Monday in the journal JAMA: Internal, for which researchers examined geographic changes and inequality in life expectancy across the U.S.

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