To be or not to be--what are the odds?

Life expectancies are averages. Among the group of people to which the average refers there will be wide variations in the length of their lives. This article quantifies these variations by looking at the chances of an early death and the chances of an exceptionally long life. Persons aged 40, for example, have an estimated average future length of life of 35 years for men and 40 years for women according to the most recent decennial English Life Tables. But some would die much sooner-1 percent within 5 or 7 years (respectively) and 10 percent within 20 or 24 years; while at the other extreme some would live much longer-10 percent for 49 or 53 years and 1 percent for 57 or 61 years. The article goes on to explain how these differences are related to the underlying patterns of mortality.