According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each American is now valued at $6.9 million. This is $1 million less than five year ago and almost 15% less than a decade ago. Seems like we are depreciating faster than our cars. This number refers to the statistical value of each person and the cost of reducing the average number of deaths by one. The number has important regulatory implications. For example, a regulation that costs $18 billion to enforce to prevent 2,500 deaths is not worth the effort anymore since it would cost us $7.2 million to save one life and, as the new number suggests, this is more than the value of a single American life. Five years ago, however, the regulation would have made economic sense since we were each valued at $7.8 million.

More info: MSNBC

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