Odainn
Free risk check · real data

What is a 72-year-old woman in Germany 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
1.6%
1 in 63
Next 10 years
25%
about 2 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 disease9.0%
    2.2% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
  2. 02Heart failure & other heart disease7.9%
    2.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 13%
  3. 03High blood pressure & other circulatory disease7.2%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
  4. 04Dementia & Alzheimer's6.7%
    1.6% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
  5. 05Stroke5.9%
    1.5% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.3%
  6. 06COPD & chronic lung disease5.6%
    1.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
  7. 07Lung cancer5.6%
    1.4% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
  8. 08Other cancers4.7%
    1.2% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
Show the other 38 causes47% together
  1. 09Breast cancer4.5%
    1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.7%
  2. 10Other causes4.0%
    0.99% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.3%
  3. 11Other digestive disease3.4%
    0.85% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.3%
  4. 12Pancreatic cancer3.0%
    0.75% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  5. 13Colorectal cancer2.7%
    0.67% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.8%
  6. 14Leukaemia & lymphoma2.6%
    0.64% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  7. 15Diabetes2.4%
    0.59% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.7%
  8. 16COVID-192.4%
    0.58% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.4%
  9. 17Uterine & ovarian cancer2.2%
    0.53% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  10. 18Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)2.0%
    0.50% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  11. 19Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)2.0%
    0.49% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
  12. 20Kidney disease1.8%
    0.44% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.5%
  13. 21Falls1.8%
    0.44% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.4%
  14. 22Pneumonia & flu1.7%
    0.42% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.1%
  15. 23Parkinson's disease1.4%
    0.34% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  16. 24Other lung disease1.2%
    0.30% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  17. 25Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)1.1%
    0.27% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.46%
  18. 26Liver cancer0.85%
    0.21% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.43%
  19. 27Other accidents0.80%
    0.20% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.99%
  20. 28Stomach cancer0.78%
    0.19% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.48%
  21. 29Brain cancer0.67%
    0.17% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.27%
  22. 30Kidney cancer0.48%
    0.12% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.33%
  23. 31Suicide0.48%
    0.12% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.26%
  24. 32Bladder cancer0.46%
    0.11% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.36%
  25. 33Other mental health conditions0.40%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.29%
  26. 34Mouth, throat & larynx cancer0.40%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.20%
  27. 35Oesophageal cancer0.37%
    0.09% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.18%
  28. 36Melanoma (skin cancer)0.31%
    0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.20%
  29. 37Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)0.31%
    0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.23%
  30. 38Alcohol use disorder0.30%
    0.07% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.12%
  31. 39Cervical cancer0.26%
    0.06% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.12%
  32. 40Road accidents0.15%
    0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.08%
  33. 41Congenital conditions0.09%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.04%
  34. 42Drowning0.05%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.02%
  35. 43Accidental poisoning & overdose0.05%
    0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.02%
  36. 44Homicide0.01%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
  37. 45Complications around birth<0.01%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
  38. 46Drug use disorder<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 TelefonSeelsorge on 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

For people like a 72-year-old woman in Germany, not a personal prediction. Based on official mortality data for Germany (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 Germany

How long people like this live: life expectancy.

What to do about it

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

If you smoke or used to:

If a parent, brother, sister or child had:

Based on statutory health insurance (G-BA) screening and STIKO vaccine recommendations. 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.