In a previous chart, we found that lifespans for men differed widely depending on their professional backgrounds. The same phenomenon is true for women.
This chart summarizes the lifespans of female athletes and actors who were born between 1890 and 1920. This period was chosen since no one from that era is still alive and the period is short enough that everyone should expect the same lifespan, all other things being equal.
Each box in the chart captures everyone from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile. The middle line in the box is the median lifespan. The outside vertical lines capture everyone else except for a few outliers, as shown by the small circles. The “x” denotes the average lifespan. The average Canadian woman, as captured in the chart, is approximated by the 2000-2002 Canada Life Tables.
Does choice of career affect how long
a woman can expect to live?
Distribution of life spans by profession
Everyone
from 25th
to 75th
percentile
Everyone else
Outliers
110
Median
lifespan
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Olympic
athletes
Average
Canadian
Actresses
the globe and mail, Source: frederick vettese
Does choice of career affect how long
a woman can expect to live?
Distribution of life spans by profession
Everyone from 25th
to 75th percentile
Everyone else
Outliers
110
Median
lifespan
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Olympic
athletes
Average
Canadian
Actresses
the globe and mail, Source: frederick vettese
Does choice of career affect how long a woman can expect to live?
Distribution of life spans by profession
Everyone from 25th to 75th percentile
Everyone else
Outliers
110
Median
lifespan
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Olympic athletes
Average Canadian
Actresses
the globe and mail, Source: frederick vettese
The 51 female Olympic athletes all participated in track events at the 1948 Olympic Games and represented mainly European and North American countries. Their median age at death was astoundingly high at 92. By comparison, the median age at death for Canadian women from the same time period was 85.
Similarly, 25 per cent of the same Olympic athletes lived until age 95 while only 12 per cent of women from the general population reached that age (it would be higher than 12 per cent for present-day women). As with the men, this comparison suggests a strong connection between vigorous physical activity and longevity.
Alas, the stage and screen are much less likely to result in a long life. The median age of death for the 179 actors represented in the chart was just 82, which is fully 10 years less than for the Olympic athletes. Even more sobering, 25 per cent of the actors did not even reach age 70.
Frederick Vettese is former chief actuary of Morneau Shepell and author of the PERC retirement calculator (perc-pro.ca)
