How long does a 55 year old live?
A woman of 55 in the US reaches 84.2 on average, and a man 81.1, by the 2024 US life table. That's 29.2 and 26.1 more years. Half of 55-year-old women live past 86, and half of men past 83.
Women aged 55
84.2the average age reached
- Reach 7088%
- Reach 7581%
- Reach 8070%
- Reach 8554%
- Reach 9033%
- Reach 9514%
- Reach 1003%
- Years left
- 29.2
- The middle half reach
- 78 to 92
Men aged 55
81.1the average age reached
- Reach 7082%
- Reach 7572%
- Reach 8059%
- Reach 8541%
- Reach 9023%
- Reach 958%
- Reach 1001%
- Years left
- 26.1
- The middle half reach
- 74 to 89
Out of 100 people aged 55, how many are still alive at each age
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 97 | 96 |
| 65 | 94 | 90 |
| 70 | 88 | 82 |
| 75 | 81 | 72 |
| 80 | 70 | 59 |
| 85 | 54 | 41 |
| 90 | 33 | 23 |
| 95 | 14 | 8 |
| 100 | 3 | 1 |
Why it's higher than 79
The 79.0 years you hear about is the US average at birth in 2024. By 55, you've already passed the ages where some people born the same year died, so the average age you reach is higher: 84.2 for women and 81.1 for men.
What moves your own number
This is the average for everyone in the US aged 55, smokers and marathon runners alike. In a study of 123,219 US health professionals, people with five healthy habits at 50 could expect 12 to 14 more years than people with none (Li 2018). See your own estimate from the same study, or take the floor test.
2 sources
- NCHS, United States Life Tables, 2024, National Vital Statistics Reports 75(5)cdc.gov
- Li Y and others, Circulation 2018pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
