Life Expectancy Calculator
Life expectancy is a statistical estimate of the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on population data. While no calculator can predict any individual's lifespan, research has identified key modifiable factors that significantly affect longevity. This calculator uses CDC 2022 actuarial life table data as the baseline and applies adjustments based on published research on the impact of smoking, obesity, physical activity, and chronic disease status. The result is an educational estimate with large uncertainty. Use it to understand the relative importance of lifestyle choices, not as a personal forecast. For medical advice, consult your healthcare provider.
Life expectancy estimation method
Base life expectancy (CDC 2022): Male 74.8 yr, Female 80.2 yr
Adjustments applied from published research:
Smoking: -10 yr (current), -5 yr (former) | Obesity class II+: -5 yr
Active 300+ min/week: +2 yr | Sedentary: -4 yr
This is an educational estimate with wide individual variation.
Life expectancy: frequently asked questions
What is average life expectancy in the US?
According to CDC 2022 data, life expectancy at birth in the United States is 77.5 years overall: 74.8 years for males and 80.2 years for females. These are population averages that reflect the risk of death at every age, not the expected age of death for any individual. Life expectancy at older ages is higher: a 65-year-old American can expect to live an additional 19.1 years on average.
What factors most affect life expectancy?
The largest modifiable risk factors are: smoking (reduces life expectancy by 10+ years), obesity (3-7 years reduction for severe obesity), physical inactivity (3-5 years), heavy alcohol use (2-3 years), and untreated chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Positive factors include not smoking, maintaining healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, having strong social connections, and adequate sleep.
How accurate is a life expectancy calculator?
All life expectancy calculators produce estimates with wide uncertainty. Individual outcomes are highly unpredictable. Population-level risk factors (like smoking) have well-documented average effects, but any individual can live much longer or shorter than the estimate. These tools are best used to understand the relative impact of lifestyle choices rather than as predictions. Genetics, access to healthcare, and random events all play large roles.
Does having a chronic disease reduce life expectancy?
Yes, substantially for some conditions. Untreated hypertension reduces life expectancy by about 3-5 years. Type 2 diabetes diagnosed at age 50 reduces expectancy by about 6 years. Heart disease reduces expectancy by 5-10 years depending on severity. However, well-controlled chronic conditions have much smaller impacts. Early diagnosis, medication adherence, and lifestyle modification significantly reduce these losses.
What lifestyle changes have the biggest impact?
Not smoking has by far the largest individual impact (10-13 additional years for a pack-a-day smoker who quits vs. continues). Maintaining healthy weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) versus being severely obese adds 3-7 years. Regular physical activity (150+ min/week) adds 3-5 years. These effects compound: a non-smoking, active, healthy-weight 50-year-old can expect 10+ additional years versus a sedentary, obese smoker of the same age.
Official sources
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics: United States Life Tables 2022 (NVSR 72-12).
- CDC: Tobacco-Related Mortality.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.