Healthcare

Charted: How American Life Expectancy Compares to Its Peers

Published

7 months ago

April 10, 2025

Marcus Lu

Graphics/Design:

Anna Diederichs

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Use This Visualization

How American Life Expectancy Compares to Its Peers

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

American life expectancy at birth is falling further behind that of comparable nations
The gap has increased from 2.2 years in 2000, to 4.1 years in 2023

For decades, Americans could expect to live about as long as their peers in other wealthy countries—but today, that story is changing.

Based on a 2025 analysis by Peterson-KFF, American life expectancy is now lagging significantly behind comparable nations, with the gap growing wider than ever before.

From chronic diseases to healthcare disparities, multiple factors are contributing to Americans dying younger. In this infographic, we take a look at how the U.S. stacks up—and how quickly it’s falling behind.

Data and Discussion

The data we used to create this graphic is included in the table below.

The comparable country group is based on averages across 11 nations: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.

Year	U.S. (yrs)	Comparable Country Average (yrs)
1980	73.7	74.6
1981	74.1	74.8
1982	74.5	75.1
1983	74.6	75.3
1984	74.7	75.7
1985	74.7	75.7
1986	74.7	76
1987	74.9	76.4
1988	74.9	76.5
1989	75.1	76.7
1990	75.4	76.9
1991	75.5	77.1
1992	75.8	77.3
1993	75.5	77.4
1994	75.7	77.8
1995	75.8	77.8
1996	76.1	78.1
1997	76.5	78.4
1998	76.7	78.6
1999	76.7	78.7
2000	76.8	79
2001	77	79.3
2002	77	79.4
2003	77.2	79.5
2004	77.6	80.1
2005	77.6	80.2
2006	77.8	80.6
2007	78.1	80.8
2008	78.2	81
2009	78.5	81.2
2010	78.7	81.4
2011	78.7	81.6
2012	78.8	81.6
2013	78.8	81.8
2014	78.9	82.1
2015	78.7	81.9
2016	78.7	82.2
2017	78.6	82.3
2018	78.7	82.3
2019	78.8	82.6
2020	77	82
2021	76.4	82.2
2022	77.5	82.2
2023	78.4	82.5

Higher Spending, Lower Life Expectancy

According to Peterson-KFF, the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy among large, wealthy countries despite outspending its peers on healthcare.

In 2023, health spending per capita in the U.S. climbed to $13,432, versus $7,393 for the same 11 nation peer group.

This disconnect suggests inefficiencies, unequal access, and other systemic problems in the U.S. healthcare system are preventing resources from translating into longer, healthier lives.

Chronic Diseases Drag American Life Expectancy Down

A key factor behind the stagnation of life expectancy in the U.S. is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases.

This includes kidney disease, which in 2021 claimed 41 lives per 100,000 in the U.S., versus just 28 per 100,000 for the comparable country group.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you’re enjoying our content, check out this graphic showing global obesity projections by 2050 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Related Topics:canada health demographics japan countries healthcare age usa uk life expectancy disease medicine ADVANCED ECONOMIES

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Ranked: America’s Most Expensive Drugs

America’s most expensive drugs now top $4 million per dose. See why gene therapies carry record-breaking price tags.

Published

5 days ago

October 30, 2025

Pallavi Rao

This cropped chart ranks America's most expensive drugs in 2025, using data from Fierce Pharma published 2025.

Ranked: America’s Most Expensive Drugs

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Lenmeldy is America’s priciest drug in 2025 at $4.25 million per dose.
One Lenmeldy treatment equals roughly 12,500 Ozempic doses ($342 each, before insurance)

In 2025, the soaring cost of cutting-edge gene therapies has pushed individual drug prices to record highs.

The latest ranking of America’s most expensive drugs highlights how a single treatment can rival the price of a luxury home.

The data for this visualization comes from Fierce Pharma. It lists the 10 priciest U.S. drugs, all topping $2 million per course and most offering one-time, potentially curative benefits

Gene Therapies Dominate the Leaderboard

Lenmeldy, a treatment for the ultrarare disorder metachromatic leukodystrophy, costs $4.25 million per dose, eclipsing every other therapy launched to date.

Rank	Drug Name	Cost Per Dose	Company	Used For
1	Lenmeldy	$4,250,000	Kyowa Kirin	A gene therapy used to treat kids with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare inherited metabolic disorder
2	Kebilidi	$3,950,000	PTC Therapeutics	A gene therapy used to treat children & adults with AADC deficiency, a rare disorder that prevents the body from making key brain chemicals
3	Hemgenix	$3,500,000	CSL Behring	A one-time gene therapy used to treat adults with hemophilia B to reduce bleeding episodes
4	Elevidys	$3,200,000	Sarepta Therapeutics	A gene therapy used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in people 4 years and older
5	Lyfgenia	$3,100,000	bluebird bio	A one-time gene therapy used to treat sickle cell disease with a history of pain crises
6	Skysona	$3,000,000	bluebird bio	A gene therapy used to slow nerve damage in boys with early, active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD)
7	Roctavian	$2,900,000	BioMarin	A one-time gene therapy used to treat adults with severe hemophilia A who don’t have AAV5 antibodies
8	Rethymic	$2,810,000	Sumitomo Pharma	A tissue-based therapy used to help kids with congenital athymia build a working immune system
9	Zynteglo	$2,800,000	bluebird bio	A gene therapy used to treat people with transfusion dependent beta thalassemia
10	Zolgensma	$2,320,000	Novartis	A one-time gene therapy used to treat children under 2 with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

Note: Bluebird Bio is now Genetix Biotherapeutics after acquisition by two private equity firms.

Lenmeldy’s list price equals roughly 12,500 doses of popular diabetes drug Ozempic at its pre-insurance list price.

While the number seems astronomical, payers weigh it against lifelong care costs that can exceed $10 million for untreated MLD patients.

Similarly, third-ranked Hemgenix’s one-time $3.5 million cost compares with up to $20 million for decades of clotting-factor infusions.

Even at multimillion-dollar stickers, pay-once gene therapies can offer health-economic value over chronic treatments.

In fact, every drug on the top 10 list is a gene or cell-based therapy—scientific breakthroughs that replace or repair faulty genetic instructions.

Because they aim to cure rare and deadly conditions in a single dose, their development and manufacturing pipelines are complex, bespoke, and expensive.

ℹ️ Related: Check out where Ozempic ranks in America’s most common drugs by medicare spending.

Bluebird Bio’s Three-Drug Footprint

No company appears more often than Bluebird Bio, which places Lyfgenia, Skysona, and Zynteglo on the list.

Each addresses a different inherited blood or metabolic disorder, yet all share core technology roots developed over a decade.

Despite regulatory scrutiny and manufacturing setbacks, the company’s persistence has translated into multiple FDA approvals.

The cluster illustrates how a single firm can dominate a high-value therapeutic niche.

Bluebird Bio was acquired in June, 2025 by private equity firms Carlyle Group and SK Capital.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

For related coverage, check out Where Americans Pay the Most (and Least) for Health Insurance on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Business

Ranked: America’s Most Common Drugs by Medicare Spending

Looking at what’s shaping U.S. healthcare trends by sifting through data about America’s most common drugs by Medicare spending, who manufactures them, and how much they cost.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 21, 2025

Pallavi Rao

This cropped graphic ranks America's most common drugs, by Medicare spending in 2023.

Ranked: America’s Most Common Drugs by Medicare Spending

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Eliquis tops 2023 Medicare spending at $18.3 billion, more than twice the second-ranked drug (Ozempic).
An aging population—and related conditions like blood clots—are reshaping U.S. healthcare costs.
The top 35 drugs by Medicare spending are produced by just 20 companies, highlighting the market’s concentration and pricing power.

From diabetes injectables to blockbuster blood thinners, a handful of drugs account for a sizable share of Medicare’s pharmacy bill.

This visualization ranks the most common drugs by total Medicare spending in 2023, sourced from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

It tracks every claim, dosage, and dollar flowing through Medicare Part D, the federal prescription-drug benefit.

Blood Thinners Are America’s Most Common Drug

Eliquis (generic name: Apixaban) alone racked up $18.3 billion in Medicare spending in 2023, nearly double the next drug, Ozempic.

Alongside Xarelto, anticoagulants accounted for over $24 billion in 2023.

Rank	Drug Name	Company	Total Medicare Spending (2023)	Prevents / Treats
1	Eliquis	BMS Primarycare	$18,273,451,967	Blood clots
2	Ozempic	Novo Nordisk	$9,194,048,435	Diabetes, weight loss
3	Jardiance	Boehringer Ing.	$8,839,935,063	Diabetes
4	Trulicity	Eli Lilly & Co.	$7,363,856,224	Diabetes
5	Xarelto	Janssen Pharm.	$6,309,246,823	Blood clots
6	Trelegy Ellipta	Glaxosmithkline	$4,455,884,010	COPD
7	Humira(Cf) Pen	Abbvie US LLC	$4,419,828,188	Arthritis, Crohn's disease
8	Farxiga	Astrazeneca	$4,342,182,307	Diabetes
9	Januvia	Merck Sharp & D	$4,090,836,821	Diabetes
10	Revlimid	Celgene/BMS	$3,859,804,789	Blood cancers & bone marrow disease
11	Entresto	Novartis	$3,430,441,590	Heart failure
12	Lantus Solostar	Sanofi-Aventis	$3,157,233,282	Diabetes
13	Biktarvy	Gilead Sciences	$3,152,256,269	HIV infection
14	Stelara*	Janssen Biotech*	$2,987,778,600	Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease
15	Xtandi	Astellas Pharma	$2,601,510,278	Prostate cancer
16	Myrbetriq	Astellas Pharma	$2,510,288,600	Overactive bladder
17	Imbruvica	Pharmacyclics,	$2,371,893,292	Blood cancers
18	Mounjaro	Eli Lilly & Co.	$2,361,384,157	Diabetes, weight loss
19	Enbrel Sureclick	Amgen	$2,054,858,499	Various kind of arthritis
20	Ibrance	Pfizer US Pharm	$2,020,903,604	Breast cancer
21	Symbicort	Astrazeneca	$2,004,295,918	Asthma, COPD
22	Jakafi	Incyte Corporat	$1,940,765,069	Bone marrow disorders
23	Novolog Flexpen	Novo Nordisk	$1,875,605,627	Diabetes
24	Ofev	Boehringer Ing.	$1,837,061,150	Pulmonary fibrosis
25	Linzess	Allergan Inc.	$1,825,245,843	IBS, constipation
26	Invega Sustenna	Janssen Pharm.	$1,821,418,393	Schizophrenia
27	Pomalyst	Celgene/BMS	$1,709,288,465	Blood cancers
28	Ingrezza	Neurocrine Bios	$1,705,132,723	Huntington’s disease
29	Lenalidomide	Amneal Pharmaceuticals / Sun Pharma / Teva Pharmaceuticals	$1,681,292,157	Blood cancers & bone marrow disease
30	Rybelsus	Novo Nordisk	$1,665,906,943	Diabetes, weight loss
31	Restasis	Allergan Inc.	$1,501,664,198	Chronic dry eye
32	Creon	Abbvie US LLC	$1,466,866,603	Pancreatic enzyme replacement
33	Arexvy	Glaxosmithkline	$1,387,933,256	RSV prevention
34	Breo Ellipta	Glaxosmithkline	$1,373,600,714	Asthma, COPD
35	Vyndamax	Pfizer US Pharm	$1,349,659,508	Amyloid heart disease

Their rise reflects both an aging population and expanding preventative treatment for stroke and atrial fibrillation.

With almost four million beneficiaries, Eliquis is prescribed to roughly one in 10 Part D enrollees.

ℹ️ Related: See the 25 countries that are projected have the most seniors in 2050.

Diabetes and Weight-Loss Therapies Surge in America

Four GLP-1 and SGLT2 diabetes drugs—Ozempic, Jardiance, Trulicity, and Farxiga—collectively totaled $29.7 billion.

Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro also double as weight-loss aids, driving demand beyond traditional type-2 diabetes patients.

This (sortable table) lists cost per dose for the top 35 drugs.

Rank	Drug Name	Company	Generic Name	# of Beneficiaries	Medicare Spending Per Dosage Unit
1	Eliquis	BMS Primarycare	Apixaban	3,927,848	$10
2	Ozempic	Novo Nordisk	Semaglutide	1,464,468	$356
3	Jardiance	Boehringer Ing.	Empagliflozin	1,882,768	$20
4	Trulicity	Eli Lilly & Co.	Dulaglutide	938,731	$483
5	Xarelto	Janssen Pharm.	Rivaroxaban	1,324,165	$18
6	Trelegy Ellipta	Glaxosmithkline	Fluticasone/Umeclidin/Vilanter	1,050,583	$11
7	Humira(Cf) Pen	Abbvie US LLC	Adalimumab	61,474	$3,750
8	Farxiga	Astrazeneca	Dapagliflozin Propanediol	993,909	$20
9	Januvia	Merck Sharp & D	Sitagliptin Phosphate	843,391	$19
10	Revlimid	Celgene/BMS	Lenalidomide	36,967	$878
11	Entresto	Novartis	Sacubitril/Valsartan	663,587	$12
12	Lantus Solostar	Sanofi-Aventis	Insulin Glargine,Hum.Rec.Anlog	1,198,294	$30
13	Biktarvy	Gilead Sciences	Bictegrav/Emtricit/Tenofov Ala	83,843	$133
14	Stelara*	Janssen Biotech*	Ustekinumab	22,930	$26,818
15	Xtandi	Astellas Pharma	Enzalutamide	28,658	$146
16	Myrbetriq	Astellas Pharma	Mirabegron	769,978	$15
17	Imbruvica	Pharmacyclics,	Ibrutinib	17,100	$487
18	Mounjaro	Eli Lilly & Co.	Tirzepatide	370,203	$540
19	Enbrel Sureclick	Amgen	Etanercept	34,287	$1,812
20	Ibrance	Pfizer US Pharm	Palbociclib	16,015	$753
21	Symbicort	Astrazeneca	Budesonide/Formoterol Fumarate	984,400	$39
22	Jakafi	Incyte Corporat	Ruxolitinib Phosphate	14,041	$298
23	Novolog Flexpen	Novo Nordisk	Insulin Aspart	588,526	$39
24	Ofev	Boehringer Ing.	Nintedanib Esylate	20,444	$221
25	Linzess	Allergan Inc.	Linaclotide	565,088	$18
26	Invega Sustenna	Janssen Pharm.	Paliperidone Palmitate	70,988	$2,344
27	Pomalyst	Celgene/BMS	Pomalidomide	12,739	$1,089
28	Ingrezza	Neurocrine Bios	Valbenazine Tosylate	29,191	$268
29	Lenalidomide	Amneal Pharmaceuticals / Sun Pharma / Teva Pharmaceuticals	Lenalidomide	20,403	$682
30	Rybelsus	Novo Nordisk	Semaglutide	285,693	$32
31	Restasis	Allergan Inc.	Cyclosporine	492,479	$11
32	Creon	Abbvie US LLC	Lipase/Protease/Amylase	185,325	$9
33	Arexvy	Glaxosmithkline	Rsvpref3 Antigen/As01e/PF	4,390,151	$316
34	Breo Ellipta	Glaxosmithkline	Fluticasone/Vilanterol	556,799	$7
35	Vyndamax	Pfizer US Pharm	Tafamidis	7,589	$735

Their high list prices—Ozempic averages $356 per dose—illustrate how novel biologics multiply spending even with smaller patient counts.

ℹ️ Related: See where Americans skipped going to the doctor (even when they had to) in 2023.

Cancer and Autoimmune Biologics are Expensive Drugs

Revlimid, Humira, and Stelara each exceed $3 billion despite treating fewer than 100,000 beneficiaries each.

Revlimid’s $878 per dose and Stelara’s staggering $26,818 underscore why biologics dominate specialty-drug budgets.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Want more health-related data storytelling? Check out Ranked: Countries That Spend the Most Years in Poor Health on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.