# Life Expenctency Predictors

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-expenctency-predictors/845793>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 2, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-expenctency-predictors/845793 "2020-01-02T18:40:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-expenctency-predictors/845793/21 "2020-01-03T21:02:30Z")

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> [@RioRico](#):
>
> I ran the [John Hancock Insurance Life Expectancy calculator](https://www.johnhancockinsurance.com/life-expectancy-calculator.html). i’m 70 now; it gives me till 88. Groovy. If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die, as the song goes.
> 
> But a question occurs: Is firearm possession a LE factor? Are correlations known between gun ownership and expected lifespan? Googling, I see reports of firearm deaths reducing US life expectancy, but nothing about ownership except vague claims of no difference between owners and non-owners. Is any hard data available?
> 
> No, I don’t want a firearms debate. I’m just curious about data.

Seeing how 60% of firearm deaths are suicide, I’d assume there is some correlation because killing yourself with a gun w/o owning a gun is difficult. It happens though, either a person goes to a range and uses a range gun, or they get a friend or family member’s gun.

But there are nearly 20k firearm suicide deaths in the US. Plus another 14k homicides.

However homicides are not evenly split in the country. If you aren’t actively involved in criminal activity (gangs, drugs, etc) or your aren’t afraid your spouse will kill you, your odds of dying from firearm homicide are pretty low. Most firearm homicides are serious criminals killing each other, or domestic violence situations.

I don’t have the answer, but with the suicide thing I’d assume there is some correlation. But there are something like 130 million gun owners and about 20,000 gun suicides each year, so the hit to life expectancy probably wouldn’t be huge.

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