AMERICANS ARE DYING FASTER. MILLENNIALS, TOO

Death awaits all of us, but how patiently? To unlock the mystery of when we’re going to die, start with an actuary.

Members of this 200-year-old profession who study risk and uncertainty pore over the data of death to estimate length of life. Putting aside the spiritual, that’s crucial information for insurance companies and pension plans, and it’s also helpful for planning retirement.

The latest, best guesses for U.S. lifespans come from a study released this month by the Society of Actuaries: The average 65-year-old American man should die a few months short of his 86th birthday, while the average 65-year-old woman gets an additional two years, barely missing age 88.

This new data turns out to be a disappointment. Over the past several years, the health of Americans has deteriorated-particularly that of middle-aged non-Hispanic whites. Among the culprits are drug overdoses, suicide, alcohol poisoning, and liver disease, according to a Princeton University study issued in December.

Partly as a result, the life expectancy for 65-year-olds is now six months shorter than in last year’s actuarial study. Longevity for younger Americans was also affected: A 25-year-old woman last year had a 50/50 chance of reaching age 90. This year, she is projected to fall about six months short. (The average 25-year-old man is expected to live to 86 years and 11 months, down from 87 years and 8 months in last year’s estimates.) Baby boomers, Generation X, and yes, millennials, are all doing worse.

Americans increasingly need an accurate sense of how long they’ll live. Employer shifts from traditional pensions-which sent a regular check for life-to individual 401(k) accounts means workers must figure out retirement. When you die becomes a crucial variable. Die at 95 and retirement could be twice as expensive than if you die at 80.