Life Expectancy of a 72-Year-Old Man
13.5 years left on average (about 706 weeks), to about age 85.5.
The CDC's 2024 US life table gives a 72-year-old man 13.5 more years on average, against 15.4 for a woman the same age. At 67 a man had 16.9 years left, so the five years from 67 to 72 took only 3.4 years off his remaining average. Required minimum distributions from IRAs and most 401(k)s start at 73.
Use your exact birth date The calculator adds months since your last birthday and shows your life in weeks.
Chance of reaching each age
| Age | Chance a 72-year-old man reaches it |
|---|---|
| 75 | 92% |
| 80 | 75% |
| 85 | 53% |
| 90 | 29% |
| 95 | 9.8% |
| 100 | 1.7% |
Chance of being alive in 1, 5 and 10 years
| Time from now | Chance of being alive | Chance of dying within that time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 97.4% | 2.6% (about 1 in 39) |
| 5 years | 86% | 14% (about 1 in 7) |
| 10 years | 67% | 33% (about 1 in 3) |
For a 72-year-old man, the chance of dying in the next 12 months is about 1 in 39, on 2024 US death rates.
Survival curve
Men, women and everyone at age 72
| Life table | Years left | Average age reached | Half live past | Chance of 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 13.5 | 85.5 | 85.6 | 29% |
| Female | 15.4 | 87.4 | 87.8 | 39% |
| Everyone | 14.6 | 86.6 | 86.8 | 34% |
Nearby ages
Remaining years by age
Men aged 72 have 13.5 years left on average. At 77 they have 10.4 and at 82 they have 7.6.
Life expectancy at other ages (men)
How these numbers work
69,991 of every 100,000 babies on the 2024 male table are still alive at 72, and 46,696 at 82. So 67% of 72-year-olds make it to 82. Half have died by 85.6, the median age, and by 95 only 6,890 of the original 100,000 are left.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, United States Life Tables, 2024 (Table 2, males). Educational information, not medical or financial advice.
Life expectancy at 72 questions
How long will a 72-year-old man live?
13.5 more years is the average on the 2024 table, which takes a 72-year-old man to about 85.5. Half of men this age live past 85.6, and 1 in 4 past 90.9.
What are the chances a 72-year-old man lives to 90?
29 in 100, on 2024 US death rates. For 80 it is 75 in 100, and for 100 it is 1.7 in 100.
Is this a prediction for me?
No. It is the average for all men aged 72 in the US on 2024 death rates. Health, habits, income and where you live can move your own number by years either way.
Related pages
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