Death is an inescapable part of life, and in Switzerland, it is a phenomenon that has been meticulously recorded for well over a century. In the most recent year, 2024, a total of 71'942 people died in the country. This is a modest increase from the 63'606 deaths recorded in 1900, a figure that might seem surprisingly close to today's number. However, one must keep in mind that the population at the time was only 2.79 million, whereas in recent years it has surpassed the 9 million threshold. The death rate has therefore fallen dramatically, from 19.3 deaths per 1'000 inhabitants in 1900 to just 8.0 in 2024. Even more striking is the decline in child mortality: in 1900, 149.7 infants died for every 1'000 live births, a rate that has plummeted to just 3.3 per 1'000 in 2024. A visualisation of all deaths per month since 1877 (Figure 2) shows the long-term trends and occasional spikes that mark this history.

Most people are curious about how long they have left, but this is impossible to predict precisely, since it depends heavily on genetic predisposition and lifestyle. Statistics can nonetheless provide a meaningful estimate based on the average population. Life expectancy is derived from a life table built on current age-specific mortality rates, which together yield the average number of years a person of a given age and sex can expect to live if those mortality conditions persist. This is a statistical snapshot of current conditions, not a prediction of medical progress or personal circumstances. To see this in action, readers can turn to (Figure 1), an interactive calculator where they can select their birth year and sex to obtain a personalised estimate of their remaining life expectancy. Those who want to learn more about life expectancy worldwide can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy