| What are the chances of death from various risks? |
A frequently asked question is "What are the chances of dying from an earthquake?", or "What are the chances of dying from an asteroid impact?".
We found this handy chart in a 2005 article on LiveScience, and thought that it would be a useful reminder of what we should be worrying about.
The more specific figures are based on 2001, the most recent year for which complete data were available at the time the article was written. Other odds, indicated with an asterisk (*) are based on long-term data.
All figures below are for U.S. residents.
| Cause of Death | Lifetime Odds |
| Heart Disease | 1-in-5 |
| Cancer | 1-in-7 |
| Stroke | 1-in-23 |
| Accidental Injury | 1-in-36 |
| Motor Vehicle Accident* | 1-in-100 |
| Intentional Self-harm (suicide) | 1-in-121 |
| Falling Down | 1-in-246 |
| Assault by Firearm | 1-in-325 |
| Fire or Smoke | 1-in-1,116 |
| Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.) | 1-in-3,357 |
| Electrocution* | 1-in-5,000 |
| Drowning | 1-in-8,942 |
| Air Travel Accident* | 1-in-20,000 |
| Flood* (included also in Natural Forces above) | 1-in-30,000 |
| Legal Execution | 1-in-58,618 |
| Tornado* (included also in Natural Forces above) | 1-in-60,000 |
| Lightning Strike (included also in Natural Forces above) | 1-in-83,930 |
| Snake, Bee or other Venomous Bite or Sting* | 1-in-100,000 |
| Earthquake (included also in Natural Forces above) | 1-in-131,890 |
| Dog Attack | 1-in-147,717 |
| Asteroid Impact* | 1-in-200,0001 |
| Tsunami* | 1-in-500,000 |
| Fireworks Discharge | 1-in-615,488 |
SOURCES: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; Clark Chapman, SwRI; David Morrison, NASA; Michael Paine, Planetary Society Australian Volunteers
