What are a person's lifetime odds of dying from cancer in the U.S.?
Answer1 in 7
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death overall, just behind heart disease.
Source: National Safety Council, Injury Facts (Odds of Dying) (2024) injuryfacts.nsc.org
Society · Facts & sources
Threat facts & stats
4 sourced facts about everyday risks and threats — the real lifetime odds of dying from them, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
The basics
What are a person's lifetime odds of dying in a motor-vehicle crash?
Answer1 in 101
Despite decades of safety improvements, car crashes remain a surprisingly common cause of death over a lifetime.
Source: National Safety Council, Injury Facts (Odds of Dying) (2024) injuryfacts.nsc.org
Going deeper
What are a person's lifetime odds of being fatally shot in an assault, in the U.S.?
Answer1 in 280
Gun assault is far less likely than a car crash over a lifetime, but still much more common than many rarer, more feared dangers.
Source: National Safety Council, Injury Facts (Odds of Dying) (2024) injuryfacts.nsc.org
Expert level
What are a person's lifetime odds of drowning?
Answer1 in 1,025
Drowning odds are far lower than motor-vehicle or gun-assault deaths, but still much higher than many people assume.
Source: National Safety Council, Injury Facts (Odds of Dying) (2024) injuryfacts.nsc.org
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