Alcohol & life expectancy
The current evidence is that less is better; heavy drinking clearly shortens life, and no level is risk-free.
Why it matters (the mechanism)
Alcohol raises the risk of several cancers, liver disease, high blood pressure and accidents; earlier "light drinking is protective" findings are now largely attributed to study artefacts.
The evidence
The WHO (2023) states no level of alcohol is safe for health; heavy and binge drinking carry the clearest life-expectancy cost. Any cardiovascular signal for light drinking is small and contested.
What to do
- If you drink, keep it low — fewer units, more alcohol-free days.
- Avoid binge drinking, which carries acute cardiovascular and accident risk.
- There is no health reason to start drinking for longevity.
- Seek support if cutting down is hard — it is a common and treatable difficulty.
And the chance of reaching 100?
Your odds of reaching 100 rise steeply with your overall forecast. As an illustration, a forecast age of 85 implies roughly a 6.7% chance of reaching 100; a forecast of 92 implies around 21%. Factors like alcohol shift where your forecast lands. Get your personal figure in the calculator.
These figures are population-average estimates from peer-reviewed research, applied on top of the official life-table baseline for your country, sex and birth cohort — the US Social Security Administration period life tables, the UK Office for National Statistics, and the WHO Global Health Observatory. They describe statistical tendencies, not personal certainties, and are not medical advice.
Other factors
Frequently Asked Questions
See how alcohol and everything else combine in your forecast — plus your chance of reaching 100.
Life Expectancy Calculator →