Who dies of prostate cancer?
In the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, 3.2% of men eventually die of prostate cancer. It is never the most likely cause of death for any one country, sex and age group — but it adds up over a lifetime.
The risk by age
Chance of dying of prostate cancer within 10 years, and its share of all the risk at that age — the median of 36 countries. Your own country's numbers are one click away on its page.
| Age | men |
|---|---|
| 15–19 | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 20–24 | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 25–29 | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 30–34 | <0.01% (<0.01% of the risk) |
| 35–39 | <0.01% (0.11% of the risk) |
| 40–44 | <0.01% (0.26% of the risk) |
| 45–49 | 0.03% (0.59% of the risk) |
| 50–54 | 0.08% (1.1% of the risk) |
| 55–59 | 0.19% (1.7% of the risk) |
| 60–64 | 0.42% (2.4% of the risk) |
| 65–69 | 0.80% (3.2% of the risk) |
| 70–74 | 1.3% (3.7% of the risk) |
| 75–79 | 2.0% (4.0% of the risk) |
| 80–84 | 2.9% (4.0% of the risk) |
| 85–89 | 3.2% (3.6% of the risk) |
| 90–94 | 3.2% (3.4% of the risk) |
Lifetime chance, men: highest and lowest countries
What changes the odds
- In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.4 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015).
- People with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more): about 1.3 times as often as people of healthy weight.
Weight, exercise, alcohol and diet at age 55, from the published studies behind Odainn's personal numbers — methodology.
What you can do
- No habit is proven to prevent it.
- A PSA test finds some cancers early, but also some that would never cause harm — decide with your doctor, from 45 if your father or brother had it.
Act fast: Peeing more often or urgently, a weak flow, or blood in your pee or semen: see a doctor — usually it isn't cancer, but it should be checked.
Sources: EAU Guidelines on Prostate Cancer (2026); NHS: Prostate cancer — symptoms. General guidance, not medical advice.
Screening for prostate cancer, by country
PSA tests are offered at 45 in Bulgaria, at 50 in Belarus and Lithuania, and at 55 in the United States. Below, each national programme's ages and intervals — the same ones Odainn uses for members' check-ups.
| Country | Who and how often |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | PSA blood test every year from 45 — in your free yearly preventive check-up (NZOK)Bulgarian Ordinance No. 8 (2016) on preventive examinations, as amended to 2026 |
| Belarus | Every 2 years, ages 50–65 — in the free dispensary check (диспансеризация) at your polyclinicBelarus Ministry of Health Resolution No. 173 (2024), dispensary check of adults |
| Lithuania | PSA blood test, ages 50–69 — free through your family doctor; how often depends on your resultLithuanian prostate cancer early-detection programme (State Patient Fund): men 50–69 |
| United States | Ages 55–69, if you choose to be testedUSPSTF: Prostate cancer — screening (2018, grade C: an individual decision) |
The other 33 countries we cover have no national programme: the EU's 2022 recommendation asks for pilots of PSA testing, not programmes. It's a decision to make with your doctor — from 45 if your father or brother had prostate cancer (European Association of Urology).
Members see which checks are due for themselves and their family, following each person's own country — sources and dates.
Embed this on your site
Free to use with the link back. The image updates when the data does.
Related: Lung cancer · Colorectal cancer · Breast cancer · Pancreatic cancer · Oesophageal cancer · Stomach cancer · Liver cancer · Cervical cancer · Uterine & ovarian cancer · Leukaemia & lymphoma · Brain cancer · Melanoma (skin cancer) · Kidney cancer · Bladder cancer · Mouth, throat & larynx cancer · Other cancers
Questions
- At what age is prostate cancer most likely to be the cause of death?
- For men, prostate cancer takes its largest share of deaths at 75–79: 4.0% of the risk of dying in the next 10 years, in the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age.
- Which country has the highest risk of dying of prostate cancer?
- Of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, Iceland has the highest lifetime chance of dying of prostate cancer for men (5.5%), and Türkiye the lowest (1.6%).
- What raises the risk of dying of prostate cancer?
- In large cohort studies, people who smoke died of it about 1.4 times as often as people who never smoked (Carter 2015). People with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more): about 1.3 times as often as people of healthy weight.
- At what age does screening for prostate cancer start?
- PSA tests are offered at 45 in Bulgaria, at 50 in Belarus and Lithuania, and at 55 in the United States. The other 33 countries we cover have no national programme: the EU's 2022 recommendation asks for pilots of PSA testing, not programmes. It's a decision to make with your doctor — from 45 if your father or brother had prostate cancer (European Association of Urology).
Computed by Odainn from official mortality statistics (Eurostat; ONS, NRS and NISRA; CDC; Statistics Canada) for 36 countries, latest years — how we calculate. Belarus is left out: deaths by cause and age aren't published together there, so the split by cause is our estimate. Population statistics, not a prediction for any individual. Educational, not medical advice.