This Fascinating Chart Tells You How You’re Most Likely to Die
This chart can give you an estimate of when you’re likely to die and what from. (Image: FlowingData.com)
It’s an unfortunate fact of life: We’re all going to die at some point. But just how and when that will happen remains a mystery — and a new test is looking to help solve it.
Statistician Nathan Yau, PhD, created an interactive chart that’s simply titled “How You Will Die.” As the name suggests, the test uses simple information from you (paired with data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Underlying Cause of Death database) to tell you how you’re most likely to die at any given age. Fun!
To take the test, simply enter in your gender, race, and age. The chart then starts processing your information, and tells you how likely you are to die from myriad causes (infection, cancer, endocrine issues, etc.), as you age.
Related: New Test Can Predict When You’ll Die
From a health standpoint, the odds are largely in your favor until you reach your late 70s and early 80s, when cancer and circulatory issues become your biggest enemy.
“The main point, which is what you’d expect, is that mortality rate is much lower in the earlier years of life than in the older years,” Yau wrote on FlowingData.com, along with the test. “But if you do die at a younger age, it’s much more likely due to something external rather than a disease.”
On the other hand, he notes, you’re much more likely to die of disease as you age rather than something external. And, once you get past 80, you have a greater than 40 percent chance that you’ll die of a heart problem.
Related: I Predicted My Own Near-Death Experience
The new test is just one of many that attempt to determine details of our deaths. Last year, Swedish researchers created the UbbLE Risk Calculator, which attempts to determine how likely you are to die within five years. There are also less scientific tests, like DeathClock.com, which tries to figure out how much time you have left.
Why are we so fascinated by these things? It’s because we’re all kind of self-absorbed, licensed clinical psychologist Alicia H. Clark, PsyD, tells Yahoo Health.
Related: How Likely Are You To Die in 5 Years? This Test Will Tell You
“Our curiosity about ourselves seems virtually insatiable, especially when information can help us better cope with our lives and face the future,” she says. It’s not being morbid, she says; we tend to take these tests because we want confirmation that we’re OK, and that we’re likely to continue to be healthy for a long time.
Of course, the topic of death also scares most of us on some level — but tests like this help calm fears. “Death brings up a core human anxiety,” Clark says. “Not knowing what’s going to happen can drive up anxiety, whereas being able to predict uncertainties can give us a sense of control which can lower anxiety.”
But even looking at a test like this can freak some people out. If you’re one of them, Clark recommends asking yourself what’s really scaring you — and then doing something about it. “Often when we face death, we worry most about not living the life we want,” she says. “This anxiety can be motivating and productive, challenging us to improve our lives ultimately.”
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