Prepared by Public Affairs 312-751-4777
Every three years, the Railroad Retirement Board’s Chief Actuary conducts a
study of the longevity of its annuitants, as part of a valuation of future
revenues and benefit payments. The following questions and answers summarize the
results of the most recent longevity study.
1. What were the study’s finding on the life
expectancy of retired male railroaders?
The most recent data reflected a continued improvement in longevity. Using data
through 2003, the study indicated that, on the average, a male railroader
retiring at age 60 can be expected to live another 20.7 years, or approximately
248 months. Studies done three, six and nine years ago indicated life
expectancies of 20.1, 19.8, and 19.5 years, respectively, for this category of
beneficiary. The study also indicated that a male railroader retiring at age 62
can be expected to live another 19 years
(228 months), while the previous three studies indicated life expectancies of
18.5, 18.2, and 17.9 years, respectively. A male railroader retiring at age 65
can be expected to live another 16.6 years (approximately 199 months). The
previous studies indicated life expectancies of 16.1, 15.8, and
15.5 years, respectively, for this category of beneficiary.
2. How did these life expectancy figures
compare to those of disabled annuitants?
As would be expected, disabled annuitants have a shorter average life
expectancy, but the difference decreases with age. At age 60, a disabled
railroader has an average life expectancy of 15.8 years, or 4.9 years less than
a nondisabled male annuitant of the same age; at age 65, a disabled annuitant
has an average life expectancy of 3.6 years less than a nondisabled 65-year-old
annuitant; and at age 70 the difference is only 2.7 years.
3. Are women still living longer than men?
In general, women still live longer than men. This is shown both in the Railroad
Retirement Board’s life expectancy studies of male and female annuitants and by
other studies of the general United States population.
For example, at age 60 a retired female railroader is expected on the average to
live 24.2 years,
3.5 years longer than a retired male railroader of the same age; and at age 65,
a retired female railroader is expected on the average to live 19.8 years, 3.2
years longer than her male counterpart. Spouses and widows age 65 have average
life expectancies of 20 years and 18.1 years, respectively.
4. Can individuals use life expectancy
figures to predict how long they will live?
Life expectancy figures are averages for large groups of people. Any particular
individual’s lifetime may be much longer or shorter than the life expectancy of
his or her age and group.
According to the study, from a group of 1,000 retired male employees at age 65,
915 will live at least 5 years, 774 at least 10 years, 579 at least 15 years,
and 352 at least 20 years. Of female age annuitants at age 65, 519 will be alive
20 years later.
5. How do the life expectancies of railroad
retirement annuitants compare with those of the general population?
While exact data were not available for direct comparison, data available to the
Railroad Retirement Board did not indicate significant differences. The
entire
longevity study is available on the agency’s Web site at www.rrb.gov.
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