Odainn
Free risk check · real data

What is a 72-year-old woman in Belgium 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
72
Sex at birth

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

Next 12 months
1.4%
1 in 72
Next 10 years
22%
about 2 in 10
Life expectancy
88
about 16 more years on average
Most likely causes

Share of all deaths in the next 10 years.

  1. 01Heart failure & other heart disease8.4%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 16%
  2. 02Dementia & Alzheimer's6.8%
    1.5% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
  3. 03Lung cancer6.3%
    1.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.3%
  4. 04Stroke6.3%
    1.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.8%
  5. 05COPD & chronic lung disease6.0%
    1.3% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.1%
  6. 06Other cancers5.5%
    1.2% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.2%
  7. 07Breast cancer4.9%
    1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.0%
  8. 08Heart attack & coronary heart disease4.6%
    1.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.6%
Show the other 38 causes51% together
  1. 09Other digestive disease4.1%
    0.90% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.1%
  2. 10Other causes3.9%
    0.86% chance over 10 years · lifetime 5.1%
  3. 11High blood pressure & other circulatory disease3.2%
    0.70% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.8%
  4. 12Pneumonia & flu3.2%
    0.70% chance over 10 years · lifetime 5.5%
  5. 13Pancreatic cancer3.0%
    0.65% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.4%
  6. 14Colorectal cancer2.8%
    0.61% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
  7. 15Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)2.8%
    0.60% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.6%
  8. 16Other lung disease2.7%
    0.59% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
  9. 17Uterine & ovarian cancer2.6%
    0.56% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.3%
  10. 18Leukaemia & lymphoma2.6%
    0.56% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.7%
  11. 19Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)2.5%
    0.55% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.9%
  12. 20Kidney disease1.9%
    0.41% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.7%
  13. 21Falls1.9%
    0.41% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.4%
  14. 22COVID-191.8%
    0.40% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.0%
  15. 23Parkinson's disease1.6%
    0.35% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.2%
  16. 24Other accidents1.6%
    0.34% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
  17. 25Diabetes1.3%
    0.29% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.4%
  18. 26Liver cancer1.0%
    0.23% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.53%
  19. 27Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)0.92%
    0.20% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.35%
  20. 28Brain cancer0.62%
    0.13% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.24%
  21. 29Oesophageal cancer0.61%
    0.13% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.32%
  22. 30Stomach cancer0.56%
    0.12% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.36%
  23. 31Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)0.55%
    0.12% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.32%
  24. 32Bladder cancer0.46%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.38%
  25. 33Mouth, throat & larynx cancer0.46%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.23%
  26. 34Other mental health conditions0.45%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.43%
  27. 35Kidney cancer0.44%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.31%
  28. 36Melanoma (skin cancer)0.37%
    0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.22%
  29. 37Suicide0.33%
    0.07% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.14%
  30. 38Cervical cancer0.31%
    0.07% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.13%
  31. 39Accidental poisoning & overdose0.17%
    0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.08%
  32. 40Road accidents0.17%
    0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.07%
  33. 41Alcohol use disorder0.16%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.07%
  34. 42Congenital conditions0.07%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.03%
  35. 43Drowning0.05%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.02%
  36. 44Homicide0.02%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.01%
  37. 45Drug use disorder0.01%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
  38. 46Prostate cancer<0.01%
    <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 1813 (Zelfmoordlijn) or 0800 32 123 (Centre de Prévention du Suicide) — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

For people like a 72-year-old woman in Belgium, not a personal prediction. Based on official mortality data for Belgium (2023), Eurostat. Personal risk also depends on health and habits.

— send it to someone you love.

Full page with comparisons: women aged 70–74 in Belgium

How long people like this live: life expectancy.

What to do about it

Check-ups recommended for a 72-year-old woman in Belgium

If you smoke or used to:

If a parent, brother, sister or child had:

Based on the Belgian regional screening programmes, INAMI/RIZIV rules and European guidelines. Your doctor may suggest more, or sooner, depending on your health. Educational, not medical advice.

Make it personal
Do you smoke?

We never store your answer with anything that identifies you — it stays on this device until you create an account, then carries over. Educational, not medical advice.