How long does a 85 year old live?
A woman of 85 in the US reaches 92.1 on average, and a man 91.1, by the 2024 US life table. That's 7.1 and 6.1 more years. Half of 85-year-old women live past 92, and half of men past 91.
Women aged 85
92.1the average age reached
- Reach 9062%
- Reach 9526%
- Reach 1006%
- Years left
- 7.1
- The middle half reach
- 88 to 95
Men aged 85
91.1the average age reached
- Reach 9055%
- Reach 9519%
- Reach 1003%
- Years left
- 6.1
- The middle half reach
- 88 to 94
Out of 100 people aged 85, how many are still alive at each age
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | 62 | 55 |
| 95 | 26 | 19 |
| 100 | 6 | 3 |
Why it's higher than 79
The 79.0 years you hear about is the US average at birth in 2024. By 85, you've already passed the ages where some people born the same year died, so the average age you reach is higher: 92.1 for women and 91.1 for men.
What moves your own number
This is the average for everyone in the US aged 85, 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
