The greatest health strengths and challenges in Georgia

The recently released “America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report” uncovered several health strengths and challenges in Georgia.


Georgia is ranked 36th in the country for overall health – an improvement from a ranking of 40 in 20191 – according to America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report. Below is a summary of the positive and negative factors that contributed to this ranking.2

Georgia health strengths

  • Low prevalence of excessive drinking
  • Low percentage of household food insecurity
  • Low Black/white residential segregation
  • 33% increase in HPV vaccinations from 45.7% to 60.9% of adolescents ages 13 to 17 between 2017 and 2021

Georgia health challenges

  • High premature death rate
  • High uninsured rate
  • High levels of air pollution
  • 35% increase in drug deaths from 13.2 to 17.8 deaths per 100,000 population between 2019 and 2020
  • 1% increase in high blood pressure from 33.1% to 36.6% of adults between 2017 and 2021

What this means for employers

Employers who do business or have employees living in the state of Georgia may want to consider programs or benefits that can help support their employee population and guide them to better health decisions. 

Learn more about the factors impacting the health of Georgia

The real people behind these numbers are what make the work ahead so critically important. Despite the challenges ahead, I remain optimistic that the health system can rise to the moment to address long-standing disparities and improve the health and well-being of all Americans, for this generation and the next.

— Patricia L. Lewis, Chief Sustainability Officer at UnitedHealth Group

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