The United Health Foundation has released the America’s Health Rankings® 2025 Annual Report (AHR report), analyzing 99 measures of health and well-being across five categories, derived from 32 data sources. The five categories with some measures are:
- Health Outcomes—drug deaths, excessive drinking, premature death, and multiple chronic conditions
- Social and Economic Factors—firearm deaths, homicide, and volunteerism
- Physical Environment—air pollution, renewable energy, drinking water violations, and homelessness
- Behaviors—physical inactivity, e-cigarette use, smoking, and teen births
- Clinical Care—avoided care due to cost, mental health providers, uninsured, cancer screenings, and flu vaccination
Data from the AHR report also show the nation’s progress in reaching Healthy People 2030 objectives. The significance of the AHR report is to help policymakers determine challenges, strengths, and opportunities for targeted health improvement.
The significance of the AHR report is to help policymakers determine challenges, strengths, and opportunities for targeted health improvement.
The U.S. ranks poorly on health measures compared to other countries
The report shows that some United States health indicators improved, while others declined. Both the premature death and drug death rates decreased while cancer screenings increased. Between 2023 and 2024, both indicators worsen in the U.S. Some of the indicators that increased include:
- Multiple chronic conditions by six percent.
- Homelessness by 16 percent.
- Unemployment by seven percent.
- Avoided care due to cost by eight percent.
Internationally, the U.S. is not ranked well compared to other countries that belong to The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) when examining infant mortality, life expectancy at birth, and total health spending in 2023. Out of 38 OECD countries, the U.S. is ranked at 32 with the infant mortality rate of 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. As part of the Group of Seven (G7) with the U.S., both France and the United Kingdom had slightly lower infant mortality rates, at 4 and 4.2, respectively. Estonia was ranked with lowest infant mortality rate at 1.7 and Columbia had the highest rate at 16.5.
The average life expectancy in the United States is 78.4 years; making it ranked 30 out of 38 OECD countries in this category. Switzerland was listed the country with the longest life expectancy at 84.06 years and Mexico with the shortest life expectancy at 75.07 years. Compared to the U.S., life expectancy was slightly higher in the United Kingdom at 81.24 years. The U.S. spent the most amount of money on health care than other countries at $13,818. That is 2.5 times more than the average total health spending per capita for other OECD countries ($5,477). These mixed results show the complexity of health trends in the United States, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address challenges.
Ohio categorized as one of the unhealthy states
Ohio was ranked 34 of 50 states in overall health: one of the least healthy states, in the bottom third. New Hampshire was ranked number 1, and Louisiana ranks 50, the unhealthiest state. The AHR State Summaries report also provided some strengths and challenges of Ohio. The following tables are strengths and challenges of the state compared to the U.S.
Ohio was ranked 34 of 50 states in overall health: one of the least healthy states, in the bottom third.
*Years of life lost or potential years of life lost is a measure of premature mortality that weighs possible preventable deaths happening at younger ages.
Ohioans living in rural areas suffer from multiple chronic conditions more than those living in metropolitan areas. Specifically, 16.4 percent of individuals living in rural areas experience three or more health conditions, verses 15.4 percent of people in metropolitan areas. A person can endure a combination of any of the following chronic conditions:
- Cancer
- Asthma
- Depression
- Cardiovascular disease
- Arthritis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
How are organizations helping Ohioans become healthier?
Although Ohio is ranked well in education and access to care, it has challenges that need to be handled from micro to macro levels to improve healthy living for Ohioans. Fortunately, there are organizations in the state that address these public health issues. In Ohio, the AHR State Summaries report stated that homelessness is at a rate of 9.9 per 10,000 people. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) aims to break the cycle of homelessness locally by combatting the root cause of this issue.
THR State Summaries report said that adults in Ohio also suffer from frequent mental distress more than the U.S.—17 percent and 15.6 percent, respectively. To address this behavioral health challenge, the Mental Health & Addiction Coalition (MHAC) helps Ohioans by advocating policies that improve mental health to reduce the distress. The Center for Community Solutions staff wrote much about behavioral health over the years. We’ve provided recommendations on how to resolve various mental health policy issues such as addressing stigma, strengthening the behavioral health workforce, and improving payor models. Handling challenges that the AHR State Summaries report for Ohio take organizational and community efforts.
This comprehensive research acts as a roadmap for policymakers, community organizations, and health care systems.
America’s Health Ranking’s impact on societal decisions
America’s Health Rankings offer a wide range of data to understand the health status of the nation and states. The U.S.’s poor rankings compared to other nations and Ohio’s overall ranking at 34 means there should be areas of improvement to reduce health conditions. This comprehensive research acts as a roadmap for policymakers, community organizations, and health care systems, guiding them toward practical solutions that can uplift population health. By applying these findings, stakeholders can collaborate to improve health outcomes for all citizens.
