Look up cohort life expectancy by birth year

Choose a year from 1940 through 2100. The male and female values come directly from Table V.A5 of the 2026 Social Security Trustees Report under the Intermediate assumptions. The mean is a simple arithmetic average added by Life Days Left so the site can use one stable birth-year shift; it is not an SSA total-population column.

Explore one birth cohort

Choose a birth year to compare the published male and female SSA values.

Enter a year from 1940 through 2100.

Birth cohort 1990: male 78.6 years, female 83.7 years, arithmetic mean 81.15 years. Actual, estimated, and projected mortality rates.

SSA 2026 Intermediate · birth cohort 1990

Male
78.6 years
Female
83.7 years
Arithmetic mean
81.15 years

Evidence status: Actual, estimated, and projected mortality rates.

SSA cohort life expectancy at birth by birth yearFemale and male cohort life expectancy rise across birth years 1940 through 2100. A vertical annotation at 2023 marks the evidence boundary: years through 2023 combine actual, estimated, and projected mortality rates, while later birth years use estimated and projected rates.2023evidence boundary
  • Female
  • Male
  • Evidence boundary
Cohort life expectancy at birth, in years. The selected year is 1990. The arithmetic mean above is derived equally from the published male and female values; it is not a separate SSA population series.

2023 evidence boundary. SSA cohort values for birth years through 2023 combine actual, estimated, and projected death rates. Values after 2023 use estimated and projected rates.

Source: SSA 2026 Trustees Report, Table V.A5, Intermediate cohort life expectancy at birth. The SSA population is the Social Security area, which is not identical to the resident population covered by CDC U.S. life tables. SSA identifies its staff-prepared website material as public domain; this independent normalization cites the source and labels its derived mean.

Representative birth years

SSA’s male and female values are 70.2 and 76.4 years for 1940, 73.0 and 79.3 for 1950, 76.2 and 81.5 for 1970, 78.6 and 83.7 for 1990, 79.8 and 84.6 for 2000, and 80.8 and 85.4 for 2010. These are cohort estimates at birth, not the years remaining to a person who is alive now.

The sequence rises because the Intermediate assumptions allow mortality rates to change as each cohort ages. It should not be read as a guarantee that every later birth year will outlive every earlier one, nor as a forecast with no uncertainty.

Actual, estimated, and projected are not interchangeable

No cohort in this table has a fully observed lifetime. SSA labels values for birth years through 2023 as based on a combination of actual, estimated, and projected death rates. For 2024 and later, the table uses estimated and projected rates. The explorer and complete table keep that boundary visible instead of presenting every row as an observed historical fact.

Birth year is not calendar year. A value beside 1990 follows the cohort born in 1990 across future calendar years. It does not describe the mortality conditions that prevailed only during 1990.

For the formal distinction, read cohort versus period life expectancy. For the newest single-calendar-year mortality schedule, use the CDC 2024 table by attained age.

The complete 1940–2100 cohort table

The full table preserves all 161 published birth years in one crawlable resource. Male and female values are shown to the source table’s one-decimal precision; the arithmetic mean is shown to two decimals so half-year values remain visible. Both downloads retain the source URL and mark the mean as derived.

View all 161 birth years
SSA 2026 Intermediate cohort life expectancy at birth for every birth year from 1940 through 2100 in the Social Security area
Birth yearMaleFemaleArithmetic meanMortality-rate evidence
194070.276.473.3Actual, estimated, and projected
194170.576.773.6Actual, estimated, and projected
194271.177.274.15Actual, estimated, and projected
194371.477.574.45Actual, estimated, and projected
194471.777.774.7Actual, estimated, and projected
194571.977.974.9Actual, estimated, and projected
194672.378.375.3Actual, estimated, and projected
194772.778.875.75Actual, estimated, and projected
194872.878.975.85Actual, estimated, and projected
194972.879.175.95Actual, estimated, and projected
195073.079.376.15Actual, estimated, and projected
195173.079.476.2Actual, estimated, and projected
195273.179.576.3Actual, estimated, and projected
195373.279.676.4Actual, estimated, and projected
195473.479.776.55Actual, estimated, and projected
195573.579.776.6Actual, estimated, and projected
195673.679.876.7Actual, estimated, and projected
195773.779.876.75Actual, estimated, and projected
195873.879.876.8Actual, estimated, and projected
195974.079.976.95Actual, estimated, and projected
196074.180.077.05Actual, estimated, and projected
196174.380.277.25Actual, estimated, and projected
196274.480.377.35Actual, estimated, and projected
196374.680.477.5Actual, estimated, and projected
196474.880.577.65Actual, estimated, and projected
196575.080.677.8Actual, estimated, and projected
196675.380.878.05Actual, estimated, and projected
196775.681.078.3Actual, estimated, and projected
196875.881.178.45Actual, estimated, and projected
196976.081.378.65Actual, estimated, and projected
197076.281.578.85Actual, estimated, and projected
197176.381.678.95Actual, estimated, and projected
197276.581.879.15Actual, estimated, and projected
197376.681.979.25Actual, estimated, and projected
197476.882.079.4Actual, estimated, and projected
197576.982.279.55Actual, estimated, and projected
197677.182.379.7Actual, estimated, and projected
197777.282.479.8Actual, estimated, and projected
197877.382.579.9Actual, estimated, and projected
197977.482.680.0Actual, estimated, and projected
198077.682.780.15Actual, estimated, and projected
198177.782.880.25Actual, estimated, and projected
198277.882.980.35Actual, estimated, and projected
198377.983.080.45Actual, estimated, and projected
198478.083.180.55Actual, estimated, and projected
198578.183.280.65Actual, estimated, and projected
198678.283.380.75Actual, estimated, and projected
198778.383.480.85Actual, estimated, and projected
198878.483.580.95Actual, estimated, and projected
198978.583.681.05Actual, estimated, and projected
199078.683.781.15Actual, estimated, and projected
199178.783.881.25Actual, estimated, and projected
199278.983.981.4Actual, estimated, and projected
199379.084.081.5Actual, estimated, and projected
199479.184.181.6Actual, estimated, and projected
199579.384.281.75Actual, estimated, and projected
199679.484.381.85Actual, estimated, and projected
199779.584.481.95Actual, estimated, and projected
199879.684.582.05Actual, estimated, and projected
199979.784.682.15Actual, estimated, and projected
200079.884.682.2Actual, estimated, and projected
200179.984.782.3Actual, estimated, and projected
200280.084.882.4Actual, estimated, and projected
200380.184.982.5Actual, estimated, and projected
200480.285.082.6Actual, estimated, and projected
200580.385.082.65Actual, estimated, and projected
200680.485.182.75Actual, estimated, and projected
200780.585.282.85Actual, estimated, and projected
200880.685.382.95Actual, estimated, and projected
200980.785.483.05Actual, estimated, and projected
201080.885.483.1Actual, estimated, and projected
201180.985.583.2Actual, estimated, and projected
201281.085.683.3Actual, estimated, and projected
201381.185.783.4Actual, estimated, and projected
201481.285.783.45Actual, estimated, and projected
201581.285.883.5Actual, estimated, and projected
201681.385.983.6Actual, estimated, and projected
201781.485.983.65Actual, estimated, and projected
201881.586.083.75Actual, estimated, and projected
201981.686.183.85Actual, estimated, and projected
202081.786.283.95Actual, estimated, and projected
202181.886.284.0Actual, estimated, and projected
202281.986.384.1Actual, estimated, and projected
202382.086.384.15Actual, estimated, and projected Last boundary year
202482.086.484.2Estimated and projected
202582.186.484.25Estimated and projected
202682.286.584.35Estimated and projected
202782.386.684.45Estimated and projected
202882.486.784.55Estimated and projected
202982.586.784.6Estimated and projected
203082.686.884.7Estimated and projected
203182.786.984.8Estimated and projected
203282.886.984.85Estimated and projected
203382.887.084.9Estimated and projected
203482.987.185.0Estimated and projected
203583.087.285.1Estimated and projected
203683.187.285.15Estimated and projected
203783.287.385.25Estimated and projected
203883.387.485.35Estimated and projected
203983.487.485.4Estimated and projected
204083.487.585.45Estimated and projected
204183.587.585.5Estimated and projected
204283.687.685.6Estimated and projected
204383.787.785.7Estimated and projected
204483.887.785.75Estimated and projected
204583.987.885.85Estimated and projected
204683.987.985.9Estimated and projected
204784.087.985.95Estimated and projected
204884.188.086.05Estimated and projected
204984.288.086.1Estimated and projected
205084.388.186.2Estimated and projected
205184.388.286.25Estimated and projected
205284.488.286.3Estimated and projected
205384.588.386.4Estimated and projected
205484.688.386.45Estimated and projected
205584.688.486.5Estimated and projected
205684.788.586.6Estimated and projected
205784.888.586.65Estimated and projected
205884.988.686.75Estimated and projected
205984.988.686.75Estimated and projected
206085.088.786.85Estimated and projected
206185.188.786.9Estimated and projected
206285.288.887.0Estimated and projected
206385.288.987.05Estimated and projected
206485.388.987.1Estimated and projected
206585.489.087.2Estimated and projected
206685.489.087.2Estimated and projected
206785.589.187.3Estimated and projected
206885.689.187.35Estimated and projected
206985.789.287.45Estimated and projected
207085.789.287.45Estimated and projected
207185.889.387.55Estimated and projected
207285.989.387.6Estimated and projected
207385.989.487.65Estimated and projected
207486.089.487.7Estimated and projected
207586.189.587.8Estimated and projected
207686.189.587.8Estimated and projected
207786.289.687.9Estimated and projected
207886.389.687.95Estimated and projected
207986.389.788.0Estimated and projected
208086.489.788.05Estimated and projected
208186.589.888.15Estimated and projected
208286.589.888.15Estimated and projected
208386.689.988.25Estimated and projected
208486.789.988.3Estimated and projected
208586.790.088.35Estimated and projected
208686.890.088.4Estimated and projected
208786.890.188.45Estimated and projected
208886.990.188.5Estimated and projected
208987.090.288.6Estimated and projected
209087.090.288.6Estimated and projected
209187.190.388.7Estimated and projected
209287.190.388.7Estimated and projected
209387.290.388.75Estimated and projected
209487.390.488.85Estimated and projected
209587.390.488.85Estimated and projected
209687.490.588.95Estimated and projected
209787.490.588.95Estimated and projected
209887.590.689.05Estimated and projected
209987.690.689.1Estimated and projected
210087.690.789.15Estimated and projected

Values are years at birth for the Social Security area under the SSA 2026 Intermediate assumptions. The arithmetic mean is derived equally from the male and female values. Read the official table ↗ or download the normalized CSV.

How Life Days Left uses the series

The site does not treat the cohort table as a precise death-age forecast. It measures each birth year’s arithmetic-mean difference from the 1967 reference cohort, then adds that relative shift to an income-linked age-40 baseline. That preserves the table’s birth-year pattern while keeping the active estimate’s other assumption explicit.

Generation labels are applied only after the birth-year calculation. See life expectancy by generation for the grouped view, and inspect the exact transformation on the methodology page before using the daily chart.