Free risk check · real data

What is a 72-year-old woman in France 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

Sex at birth

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

Next 12 months

1.1%

1 in 92

Next 10 years

17%

about 2 in 10

Life expectancy

about 18 more years on average

Most likely causes

Share of all deaths in the next 10 years.

01Other cancers6.4%
1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.5%
02Heart failure & other heart disease6.3%
1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 13%
03Stroke6.0%
1.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.9%
04Dementia & Alzheimer's5.8%
1.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
05Breast cancer5.6%
0.98% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.1%
06Lung cancer5.3%
0.92% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
07Other causes4.6%
0.80% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.3%
08High blood pressure & other circulatory disease4.0%
0.70% chance over 10 years · lifetime 5.9%

Show the other 38 causes56% together

09Pancreatic cancer4.0%
0.69% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.7%
10Heart attack & coronary heart disease3.8%
0.67% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.3%
11Colorectal cancer3.8%
0.66% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.4%
12Uterine & ovarian cancer3.8%
0.66% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
13Other digestive disease3.8%
0.65% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.0%
14Leukaemia & lymphoma3.4%
0.59% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
15Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)3.2%
0.56% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
16Other lung disease2.7%
0.47% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.6%
17Diabetes2.3%
0.40% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
18COPD & chronic lung disease2.3%
0.39% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.7%
19Other accidents2.2%
0.38% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.1%
20Pneumonia & flu2.1%
0.37% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.1%
21Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)2.1%
0.36% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.5%
22COVID-192.0%
0.34% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.9%
23Falls1.6%
0.28% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.6%
24Liver cancer1.5%
0.27% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.67%
25Parkinson's disease1.5%
0.26% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.2%
26Kidney disease1.5%
0.26% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.9%
27Other mental health conditions0.97%
0.17% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.74%
28Brain cancer0.94%
0.16% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.29%
29Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)0.87%
0.15% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.26%
30Stomach cancer0.78%
0.14% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.37%
31Bladder cancer0.62%
0.11% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.41%
32Kidney cancer0.59%
0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.32%
33Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)0.53%
0.09% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.28%
34Suicide0.49%
0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.20%
35Mouth, throat & larynx cancer0.48%
0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.22%
36Oesophageal cancer0.47%
0.08% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.22%
37Melanoma (skin cancer)0.34%
0.06% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.19%
38Cervical cancer0.25%
0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.10%
39Accidental poisoning & overdose0.22%
0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.13%
40Alcohol use disorder0.19%
0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.06%
41Road accidents0.19%
0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.07%
42Congenital conditions0.13%
0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.05%
43Drowning0.10%
0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.03%
44Homicide0.01%
<0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
45Drug use disorder<0.01%
<0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
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 3114, the national suicide prevention line — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

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

How long people like this live: life expectancy.

What to do about it

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

Blood pressure check
every year from 40 — also checked at the free “Mon bilan prévention” (45–50, 60–65, 70–75)
Bowel cancer screening (stool test)
every 2 years, ages 50–74 (home stool test)
Breast cancer screening (mammogram)
every 2 years, ages 50–74
Flu vaccine
every autumn from 65
Cholesterol & heart-risk check
from 40 (men) / 50 (women) — included in “Mon bilan prévention” at 45–50
Pneumonia vaccine (pneumococcal)
once from 65 (Prevenar 20), with or without health conditions
Blood sugar test (diabetes)
every 3 years from 35
Shingles vaccine
2 doses, from 65

If you smoke or used to:

Lung cancer screening (low-dose CT)
if you smoke or smoked heavily, ages 50–74 — ask whether it's offered

If a parent, brother, sister or child had:

Bowel cancer in the family — earlier bowel check
often a colonoscopy every 5 years from 40 (or 10 years before your relative's age at diagnosis, if earlier) · ask your doctor
Breast or ovarian cancer in the family — risk check and genetic counselling
ask your doctor once — you may be offered earlier mammograms (often yearly from 40) or a gene test

Based on the Assurance maladie screening programmes and the 2025 French vaccine calendar. 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.