Odainn
Free risk check · real data

What is a 17-year-old girl in Iceland 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
<0.01%
1 in 11,118
Next 10 years
0.24%
1 in 417
Life expectancy
84
about 67 more years on average
The surpriseAt 17, the top risk in the next 10 years isn't aging — it's accidental poisoning & overdose.
Most likely causes

Share of all deaths in the next 10 years.

  1. 01Accidental poisoning & overdose30%
    0.07% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.65%
  2. 02Brain cancer11%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.76%
  3. 03Other cancers11%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.7%
  4. 04Pneumonia & flu11%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.7%
  5. 05Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)11%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  6. 06Drowning11%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.09%
  7. 07Suicide3.7%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.44%
  8. 08Heart failure & other heart disease1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 9.1%
Show the other 5 causes9.2% together
  1. 09Uterine & ovarian cancer1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.6%
  2. 10Diabetes1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.0%
  3. 11Drug use disorder1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.09%
  4. 12Falls1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  5. 13Homicide1.8%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.01%

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 the Red Cross helpline on 1717 — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

For people like a 17-year-old girl in Iceland, not a personal prediction. Based on official mortality data for Iceland (2018, 2019 and 2023), Eurostat. Personal risk also depends on health and habits.

— send it to someone you love.

Full page with comparisons: women aged 15–19 in Iceland

How long people like this live: life expectancy.