Odainn
Free risk check · real data

What is a 72-year-old woman in Ireland 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
1.3%
1 in 77
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 attack & coronary heart disease8.6%
    1.9% chance over 10 years · lifetime 11%
  2. 02COPD & chronic lung disease8.2%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 5.9%
  3. 03Dementia & Alzheimer's8.0%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 13%
  4. 04Lung cancer8.0%
    1.8% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.5%
  5. 05Heart failure & other heart disease5.5%
    1.2% chance over 10 years · lifetime 10%
  6. 06Stroke4.8%
    1.1% chance over 10 years · lifetime 6.0%
  7. 07Other cancers4.6%
    1.0% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.2%
  8. 08Breast cancer4.3%
    0.96% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.7%
Show the other 36 causes48% together
  1. 09High blood pressure & other circulatory disease4.2%
    0.93% chance over 10 years · lifetime 5.9%
  2. 10Other causes3.9%
    0.87% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.6%
  3. 11Other lung disease3.4%
    0.75% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.8%
  4. 12Uterine & ovarian cancer3.1%
    0.69% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  5. 13Other digestive disease3.0%
    0.67% chance over 10 years · lifetime 3.3%
  6. 14Colorectal cancer2.8%
    0.62% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.1%
  7. 15Pancreatic cancer2.7%
    0.60% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.4%
  8. 16Leukaemia & lymphoma2.6%
    0.57% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.7%
  9. 17COVID-192.3%
    0.52% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.4%
  10. 18Diabetes2.2%
    0.50% chance over 10 years · lifetime 2.2%
  11. 19Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)2.2%
    0.49% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.3%
  12. 20Pneumonia & flu2.2%
    0.49% chance over 10 years · lifetime 4.0%
  13. 21Parkinson's disease1.8%
    0.39% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.5%
  14. 22Liver cancer1.3%
    0.28% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.62%
  15. 23Oesophageal cancer1.2%
    0.27% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.76%
  16. 24Infections (e.g. sepsis, hepatitis, HIV)1.2%
    0.27% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.3%
  17. 25Kidney disease1.0%
    0.22% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  18. 26Stomach cancer0.96%
    0.21% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.57%
  19. 27Other accidents0.87%
    0.19% chance over 10 years · lifetime 1.1%
  20. 28Brain cancer0.81%
    0.18% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.30%
  21. 29Falls0.74%
    0.17% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.83%
  22. 30Kidney cancer0.62%
    0.14% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.38%
  23. 31Liver disease (incl. alcohol-related)0.56%
    0.12% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.20%
  24. 32Bladder cancer0.51%
    0.11% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.45%
  25. 33Melanoma (skin cancer)0.46%
    0.10% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.32%
  26. 34Mouth, throat & larynx cancer0.41%
    0.09% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.20%
  27. 35Cervical cancer0.32%
    0.07% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.15%
  28. 36Other injuries (incl. undetermined intent)0.17%
    0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.10%
  29. 37Other mental health conditions0.16%
    0.04% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.15%
  30. 38Accidental poisoning & overdose0.15%
    0.03% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.05%
  31. 39Road accidents0.10%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.07%
  32. 40Suicide0.10%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.02%
  33. 41Congenital conditions0.09%
    0.02% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.03%
  34. 42Alcohol use disorder0.02%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime 0.02%
  35. 43Drug use disorder0.02%
    <0.01% chance over 10 years · lifetime <0.01%
  36. 44Drowning0.02%
    <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 Samaritans on 116 123 — free and confidential, any time (or findahelpline.com).

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

How long people like this live: life expectancy.

What to do about it

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

If you smoke or used to:

If a parent, brother, sister or child had:

Based on the HSE National Screening Service 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.