Guide
How to read your results
Most life expectancy tools give you one number. This one gives you a range, because a single average hides the question that matters for retirement: what if you live longer than average?
What each row means
Each row of the table is a probability. The figure underneath each person is the number of years from now that they have that chance of still being alive.
Take a man aged 65 today, using UK average figures:
| Chance of being alive | Years from now | Age reached |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | 6 | 71 |
| 75% | 13 | 78 |
| 50% | 21 | 86 |
| 25% | 27 | 92 |
| 10% | 31 | 96 |
So he has an even chance of living another 21 years, a 1 in 4 chance of living another 27, and a 1 in 10 chance of living another 31.
Which row should you plan around?
The 50% row is the middle outcome. Half of people live longer than this. If your money is planned to run out at that point, there is a 50% chance you will still be alive when it does.
That is why planners often use the 25% or 10% row for anything you can't afford to run out of, such as the income that covers your essential bills. Spending you can cut back on later can be planned over a shorter horizon.
A useful way to think about it: plan essentials to the 10% to 25% row, and treat the 50% row as the most likely outcome rather than a safe one.
The average row
The last row shows average life expectancy. It is usually close to the 50% figure, but slightly lower, because a small number of early deaths pull the average down.
What the figures can't tell you
- They describe large groups of people. Your own health, smoking, weight and family history can move the figures by many years either way.
- They are based on ONS projections, which assume mortality keeps improving at a steady rate. Actual improvement could be faster or slower.
- The postcode adjustment reflects the area you live in, not your own circumstances.