Free Science-Backed Tool

Alcohol Impact on Life Expectancy Calculator

Enter your drinking habits below. This alcoholic life expectancy calculator uses data from the largest study ever conducted on alcohol and mortality — 600,000 people across 19 countries.

Enter average number of each type — leave blank or 0 for types you don't drink
Beers 12 oz / 355 ml
Glasses of Wine 5 oz / 150 ml
Spirits / Shots 1.5 oz / 44 ml
Used to estimate financial savings — US average is about $8

Your Results

Sources & Methodology

  1. Wood, A.M., et al. (2018). "Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599,912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies." The Lancet, 391(10129), 1513–1523. Read the study
  2. Spiegelhalter, D. (2018). Commentary at the University of Cambridge: "Each unit above guidelines costs approximately 15 minutes of life — about the same as a cigarette." Read the commentary
  3. Westman, J., et al. (2015). "Mortality and life expectancy of people with alcohol use disorder in Denmark, Finland and Sweden." Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 131(4), 297–306.
  4. Baseline life expectancy estimates derived from the U.S. Social Security Administration actuarial life tables (2023).
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates based on population-level research and cannot predict individual outcomes. Many factors affect life expectancy including genetics, overall health, diet, exercise, and medical care. This tool is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you're concerned about your drinking, please consult a healthcare professional.

How to Use This Calculator

Start by entering your age and selecting your biological sex — these determine your baseline life expectancy from actuarial tables. Then add the number of each drink type you have in a typical week. A "standard drink" is 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits. The alcoholic life expectancy calculation updates automatically as you type — no button needed. Optionally, enter your average cost per drink to see the financial impact of your drinking habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does alcohol reduce life expectancy?

Alcohol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and several cancers — including breast, esophageal, and colorectal cancer. The landmark Lancet study (Wood et al. 2018) found that risk begins to rise above roughly 100 grams of alcohol per week, which is about 7 standard drinks. Above that threshold, each additional drink is associated with a measurable reduction in life expectancy.

What is a standard drink?

One standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol. That's equivalent to 12 oz of regular beer (5% ABV), 5 oz of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (40% ABV). Keep in mind that craft beers, large pours, and strong cocktails often count as 1.5 to 2+ standard drinks, so your actual intake may be higher than you think.

How accurate is this calculator?

This alcoholic life expectancy calculator is based on population-level data from the largest meta-analysis on alcohol and mortality — covering 600,000 current drinkers across 83 studies in 19 countries. Individual results will vary based on genetics, overall health, diet, and exercise habits. The calculation provides a science-backed estimate, not a medical diagnosis.

What does "minutes of life lost per excess drink" mean?

Drinks above the ~100g/week low-risk threshold each cost roughly 15–20 minutes of life expectancy on average. This figure comes from a 2018 Cambridge analysis by David Spiegelhalter, who translated the Lancet data into a per-drink cost comparable to smoking. For context, each cigarette costs about 11 minutes — so a single excess drink carries a slightly higher statistical toll.