Men's health statistics 2026: life expectancy, doctor visits and the conditions men face

life expectancy at birth for US males in 2024, up 0.7 year from 75.8 years in 2023¹

gap in life expectancy between US females (81.4 years) and males (76.5 years) in 2024¹

The gap narrowed by 0.4 year from 2023.

female-male life expectancy gap in 2023, when males lived 75.8 years and females 81.1 years²

remaining life expectancy for US men at age 65 in 2024, versus 20.8 years for women¹

male deaths in the United States in 2024³

A rate of 950.1 deaths per 100,000 population, from CDC WONDER mortality data. Heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries are the leading causes of death among men.

of men aged 18 and older had a doctor visit for any reason in the past 12 months in 2025, versus 89.6% of women⁴

of men had a wellness visit in the past 12 months in 2025, versus 85.9% of women⁴

of men had a usual place of health care in 2025, versus 90.9% of women⁴

of men had their blood pressure checked in the past 12 months in 2025, versus 91.6% of women⁴

of men aged 18 to 64 were uninsured at the time of interview in 2025, versus 10.3% of women⁴

of US men said they would rather do household chores, like cleaning the bathroom or mowing the lawn, than go to the doctor⁵

Online YouGov survey of 1,174 US men aged 18 and older, fielded April 9 to 11, 2019.

of men admitted they have not been completely honest with their doctor⁵

Same 2019 survey. Half of men (50%) said they consider an annual check-up a regular part of taking care of themselves.

of men aged 20 and older had obesity in August 2021 to August 2023⁶

Versus 41.3% of women. Age-adjusted, the figure for men is 39.3%.

of men aged 40 to 59 had obesity, the highest of any male age group⁶

34.3% of men aged 20 to 39 and 38.0% of men 60 and older had obesity.

of men aged 20 and older had severe obesity in August 2021 to August 2023, versus 12.1% of women⁶

of men aged 18 and older had hypertension (measured high blood pressure or taking medication)³

NHANES August 2021 to August 2023.

of men aged 18 and older had diagnosed diabetes in 2025, versus 9.6% of women⁴

of men aged 18 and older currently smoked cigarettes in 2024³

7.7% of men currently used e-cigarettes.

of men aged 18 and older met federal guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity³

Based on the NCHS report on physical activity among adults in 2020.

of men aged 18 and older reported fair or poor health in 2025, versus 14.9% of women⁴

of US men aged 20 and older reported erectile dysfunction, suggesting about 18 million men are affected⁷

Nationally representative NHANES 2001-2002 data on 2,126 men.

of men with diabetes reported erectile dysfunction⁷

Crude prevalence, NHANES 2001-2002.

of men aged 40 to 70 had some degree of impotence (minimal, moderate or complete)⁸

Massachusetts Male Aging Study, 1987 to 1989. Complete impotence tripled from 5% to 15% between ages 40 and 70.

of men aged 45 and older visiting US primary care practices had total testosterone below 300 ng/dL⁹

of men aged 30 to 79 had symptomatic androgen deficiency (low testosterone plus symptoms)¹⁰

Rising to 18.4% among men in their 70s.

age-adjusted suicide deaths per 100,000 men in 2022, versus 5.9 for women¹¹

The male rate was 18.5 in 2002.

suicide became the 10th leading cause of death in the United States in 2024, replacing COVID-19¹

of men had counseling from a mental health professional in the past 12 months in 2025, versus 16.4% of women⁴

of men took prescription medication for feelings of depression in 2025, versus 14.6% of women⁴

4.2% of men regularly had feelings of depression, versus 4.9% of women.

of men aged 18 to 44 received any mental health treatment in 2021, versus 28.6% of women¹²

Up from 13.1% of men in 2019.

estimated new prostate cancer cases in the United States in 2026¹³

estimated prostate cancer deaths in the United States in 2026¹³

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer.

men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime¹³

About 6 in 10 cases are diagnosed in men aged 65 or older, and the average age at diagnosis is about 68.