New numbers confirm what most of us already knew - 2020 was one of the deadliest years in American history.

A new report from NBC News, shows that data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that the average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped by nearly two years in 2020, down to 77 years from 78.8 in 2019.

It was the country’s lowest average in nearly twenty years.

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South Dakota's life expectancy drop from 78.4 to 76.7 (−1.7 years) tied for 22nd worst in the nation.

In Iowa, life expectancies fell from 79.0 to 77.5 (−1.5 years) and tied for 31st.

Minnesota's life expectancy dropped from 79.1 to 80.4 (−1.3 years), which was tied for 40th.

A total of 13 states saw life expectancies fall by two years or more in 2020:

  • New York: 77.7 (−3.0)
  • Louisiana: 73.1 (−2.6)
  • New Jersey: 77.5 (−2.6)
  • Arizona: 76.3 (−2.5)
  • Mississippi: 71.9 (−2.5)
  • New Mexico: 74.5 (−2.4)
  • Illinois: 76.8 (−2.2)
  • Texas: 76.5 (−2.1)
  • Alabama: 73.2 (−2.0)
  • Indiana: 75.0 (−2.0)
  • Kentucky: 73.5 (−2.0)
  • Michigan: 76.0 (−2.0)
  • South Carolina: 74.8 (−2.0)

Nationwide, more than 300,000 people died from COVID-19 in 2020, but other factors like drug overdoses, homicides, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis.

Overall, deaths rose 19 percent from 2019 to 2020 — the largest jump in one hundred years.

In 2020, 9,856 people died in South Dakota and 35,659 died in Iowa. Both are record numbers.

Minnesota's 2020 mortality rates are not available.

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