Odainn
Free risk check · real data

What is a 17-year-old boy in Switzerland most likely to die from?

Move the controls. The answer comes from official mortality statistics for 37 countries in Europe and North America — and it surprises almost everyone.

Country
Age
17
Sex at birth

Official mortality statistics are published by sex at birth, which is why we ask.

Next 12 months
0.03%
1 in 3,770
Next 10 years
0.37%
1 in 273
Life expectancy
83
about 66 more years on average
The surpriseAt 17, the top risk in the next 10 years isn't aging — it's suicide.
Most likely causes

Share of all deaths in the next 10 years.

  1. 01Suicide28%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.6%
  2. 02Accidental poisoning & overdose16%
    0.06% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.22%
  3. 03Road accidents15%
    0.05% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.42%
  4. 04Other accidents8.9%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.79%
  5. 05Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)5.9%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.0%
  6. 06Drowning3.1%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.09%
  7. 07Brain cancer3.0%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.71%
  8. 08Homicide2.0%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.04%
Show the other 18 causes18% together
  1. 09Falls2.0%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.4%
  2. 10Other cancers1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.8%
  3. 11Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.23%
  4. 12Congenital conditions1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.18%
  5. 13Heart attack & coronary heart disease1.7%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 12%
  6. 14Other causes1.7%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.5%
  7. 15Drug use disorder1.4%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.15%
  8. 16Pneumonia & flu1.3%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.6%
  9. 17Heart failure & other heart disease1.2%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 8.6%
  10. 18Diabetes0.84%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.0%
  11. 19High blood pressure & other circulatory disease0.78%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.5%
  12. 20Alcohol use disorder0.57%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.39%
  13. 21Other mental health conditions0.36%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.51%
  14. 22Colorectal cancer0.21%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.3%
  15. 23Oesophageal cancer0.21%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.71%
  16. 24Leukaemia & lymphoma0.21%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
  17. 25Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)0.21%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.88%
  18. 26Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)0.21%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%

Some of these risks are about mental health and substances. They are among the most preventable — if you or someone you love is struggling, call Die Dargebotene Hand on 143 (a small charge per call) — confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

For people like a 17-year-old boy in Switzerland, not a personal prediction. Based on official mortality data for Switzerland (2023), Eurostat. Personal risk also depends on health and habits.

— send it to someone you love.

Full page with comparisons: men aged 15–19 in Switzerland

How long people like this live: life expectancy.