How long does a 78 year old live?
A woman of 78 in the US reaches 89.2 on average, and a man 87.8, by the 2024 US life table. That's 11.2 and 9.8 more years. Half of 78-year-old women live past 89, and half of men past 87.
Women aged 78
89.2the average age reached
- Reach 8093%
- Reach 8572%
- Reach 9045%
- Reach 9519%
- Reach 1004%
- Years left
- 11.2
- The middle half reach
- 84 to 94
Men aged 78
87.8the average age reached
- Reach 8091%
- Reach 8564%
- Reach 9035%
- Reach 9512%
- Reach 1002%
- Years left
- 9.8
- The middle half reach
- 83 to 92
Out of 100 people aged 78, how many are still alive at each age
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 93 | 91 |
| 85 | 72 | 64 |
| 90 | 45 | 35 |
| 95 | 19 | 12 |
| 100 | 4 | 2 |
Why it's higher than 79
The 79.0 years you hear about is the US average at birth in 2024. By 78, you've already passed the ages where some people born the same year died, so the average age you reach is higher: 89.2 for women and 87.8 for men.
What moves your own number
This is the average for everyone in the US aged 78, 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
