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Free risk check · real data

What is a 72-year-old man in Canada 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
2.1%
1 in 48
Next 10 years
29%
about 3 in 10
Life expectancy
87
about 15 more years on average
Most likely causes

Share of all deaths in the next 10 years.

  1. 01Heart attack & coronary heart disease13%
    3.9% chance over 10 years · lifetime 13%
  2. 02Lung cancer8.1%
    2.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.8%
  3. 03Dementia & Alzheimer's6.3%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 12%
  4. 04COPD & chronic lung disease5.0%
    1.5% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.1%
  5. 05Heart failure & other heart disease4.8%
    1.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 7.1%
  6. 06Other cancers4.6%
    1.3% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.9%
  7. 07Stroke4.2%
    1.2% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.6%
  8. 08Leukaemia & lymphoma3.6%
    1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.6%
Show the other 37 causes50% together
  1. 09Prostate cancer3.6%
    1.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.8%
  2. 10Colorectal cancer3.1%
    0.91% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.6%
  3. 11Other digestive disease3.1%
    0.91% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.3%
  4. 12High blood pressure & other circulatory disease3.0%
    0.88% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
  5. 13Other lung disease3.0%
    0.88% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
  6. 14Other causes3.0%
    0.87% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.5%
  7. 15Diabetes2.7%
    0.77% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
  8. 16Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)2.4%
    0.70% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  9. 17Pancreatic cancer2.4%
    0.69% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.4%
  10. 18Falls2.2%
    0.64% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.4%
  11. 19COVID-192.2%
    0.63% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.1%
  12. 20Parkinson's disease2.1%
    0.60% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
  13. 21Liver cancer1.9%
    0.55% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  14. 22Pneumonia & flu1.8%
    0.52% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.8%
  15. 23Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)1.6%
    0.47% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.8%
  16. 24Kidney disease1.6%
    0.46% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
  17. 25Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)1.4%
    0.40% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.71%
  18. 26Oesophageal cancer1.3%
    0.39% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.73%
  19. 27Bladder cancer1.2%
    0.35% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.2%
  20. 28Mouth, throat & larynx cancer1.0%
    0.30% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.60%
  21. 29Stomach cancer0.86%
    0.25% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.58%
  22. 30Kidney cancer0.83%
    0.24% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.59%
  23. 31Brain cancer0.76%
    0.22% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.38%
  24. 32Other accidents0.70%
    0.20% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.81%
  25. 33Melanoma (skin cancer)0.59%
    0.17% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.43%
  26. 34Suicide0.44%
    0.13% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.23%
  27. 35Road accidents0.32%
    0.09% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.21%
  28. 36Alcohol use disorder0.30%
    0.09% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.15%
  29. 37Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)0.16%
    0.05% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.14%
  30. 38Accidental poisoning & overdose0.16%
    0.05% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.07%
  31. 39Other mental health conditions0.16%
    0.05% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.18%
  32. 40Congenital conditions0.08%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.05%
  33. 41Drowning0.06%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.03%
  34. 42Breast cancer0.05%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.03%
  35. 43Homicide0.02%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.01%
  36. 44Drug use disorder0.01%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
  37. 45Complications around birth<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 or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

For people like a 72-year-old man in Canada, not a personal prediction. Based on official mortality data for Canada (2023–2024), Statistics Canada. Personal risk also depends on health and habits.

— send it to someone you love.

Full page with comparisons: men aged 70–74 in Canada

How long people like this live: life expectancy.

What to do about it

Check-ups recommended for a 72-year-old man in Canada

If you smoke or used to:

If a parent, brother, sister or child had:

Based on the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and NACI. 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.