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Our life expectancy is how long we are likely to live. It is determined by a range of factors such as our age, gender, health, lifestyle choices and where we live – all of which can be used to determine the average age at which we are likely to die.
The following methods can be used to forecast life expectancy among populations:
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has used historical data to compare the life expectancy of today’s Australians with those born last century. Therefore, if you were born in the 2010s, your average life expectancy is 80 if you are male and 84 if you are female. This is 34 years longer than those born in the 1880s, when the average life expectancy for males was only 47 and 50 for females.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) calculates life expectancy based on population death patterns over three-year periods. So if you were born in 2001, you can expect to live until you are 77 if you are male and 82 if you are female. If you reach the age of 65, you can expect to live until 94 if you are male and 97 if you are female.
Similarly, if you were born in 2012, you can expect to live until 79 if you are male and 84 if you are female, and if you reach 65, you can expect to live until 98 if you are male and 106 if you are female.
There are a number of online life expectancy calculators provided by various organisations and life insurance providers. If you wish to more accurately determine your average life expectancy, try one of these:
The The Death Clock is a fast, simple calculation based on your answers to six questions including your DOB, sex, smoking status, BMI, outlook on life, alcohol consumption and the country you live in.
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The AMP Life Expectancy Calculator offers a more detailed series of questions about your personal health, lifestyle choices, family history, financial situation and the environment you live in.
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My Longevity calculates your life expectancy based on questions covering five main areas, including your surroundings, your health, your attitude, your family history and your eating habits.
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The Abaris Life Expectancy Calculator works out your life expectancy based on a series of questions covering age and physique, education, marital status, work status, income, fitness and lifestyle choices.
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The Bupa Quick Health Age Check. This health check calculates your age in terms of how healthy you are and your chances of dying before 90 due to preventable lifestyle choices and non-preventable family health conditions.
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As the topics covered in these calculators demonstrate, the following factors can influence life expectancy:
While some factors, such as the country we live in or our family health history, may be beyond our control, it is possible to influence other factors that contribute to how long we are likely to live.
One of the biggest positive changes we can make is to improve our lifestyle choices. Many experts believe that simply by drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking and pursuing a more active lifestyle, the average person can add several years to their current life expectancy.
Of course you could walk under a bus tomorrow, but that’s because life doesn’t come with guarantees and all we can really do to improve our chances of living to a ripe old age is to focus on those things that are within our power to control.
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