How Odainn works, in plain words
Is this a prediction of when I'll die?
No. Odainn shows what is most likely to cause death for people of your age, sex and country — and, if you answer a few questions, people with your habits — from official statistics. It's a statistic about people like you, not a forecast about you: your genes, medical history and choices matter too.
Where do the numbers come from?
Official death and population statistics for 37 countries: Eurostat for 33 European countries; the ONS, National Records of Scotland and NISRA for the UK; every US death certificate (the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics); Statistics Canada for Canada; Belstat for Belarus, which publishes deaths by age and by cause but not both together, so there we estimate the split by cause (and say so on every Belarus page). Nothing is estimated by AI. The full methodology.
Which countries do you cover?
Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States. A country is added only when its official cause-of-death data is free to reuse and passes our validation. Browse by country.
How accurate is it?
Before a country is published, our engine has to reproduce its official life expectancy at birth, at 35 and at 65 within half a year, for both sexes, using nothing but the raw counts. The largest gap anywhere — any country, sex or one of those ages — is 0.21 years. The validation table.
Why do you ask for sex at birth?
Official mortality statistics are published by sex at birth, and risks differ a lot between the two — so it's the only way to give you the right numbers.
How are the personal numbers calculated?
From seven questions about smoking, exercise, height and weight, alcohol, and fruit and vegetables. Each habit changes the risk of specific causes by amounts measured in large published studies, rescaled so that the national average still matches the official rate. Every action shows the extra days of life it gives back on average. How personal numbers work.
Why is life expectancy lower than I expected for a young person?
We show period life expectancy: what today's death rates imply, without guessing future medical progress. For younger people, real lifespans will likely be longer.
Why does a child's result show the next 12 months?
Over 10 years, a child's window would run into the teenage years and show teenage risks. For under-15s we show what matters at their age now.
Is my data private?
You can check risks without an account. If you create one, your health answers are stored only with your explicit consent, in our EU database, and you can download, correct or delete everything from your account page at any time. We don't sell your data, use it for advertising, or share health answers with employers, insurers or anyone else. Privacy policy.
What does it cost?
Checking risks is free, without an account. A free account adds personal numbers from your habits, your top 3 actions, two loved ones, the next check-up due for each of you (with a reminder), a short plain-language explanation of your results, and doctor-visit notes to print or save as PDF. Odainn Plus, a subscription, will add the full action plan, a check-up calendar with reminders for your whole family (up to 50 people), questions answered in plain language, help telling a loved one what to get checked, and an AI-written summary and questions to ask on your doctor-visit notes. Plus isn't on sale yet — it's coming very soon.
Whose screening guidelines do the check-up reminders follow?
Your country's: the NHS in the UK, USPSTF and the CDC in the US, the Canadian Task Force in Canada, NFZ programmes in Poland, statutory screening in Germany, the Assurance maladie in France, and the national programmes of all 37 countries we cover — with the EU's 2022 cancer-screening recommendation where a programme leaves a gap. Check-ups by country.
What if medicine can't save me?
Most deaths before old age can be prevented or treated — that's what Odainn is for. When medicine can do no more, some people choose biostasis (cryonics): preservation at a very low temperature in the hope that future medicine can repair and revive them. No one has been revived yet, and no one knows if it will be possible — but for some it's a last hope. We explain it honestly, including the costs and how to prepare. Biostasis: an honest guide.
Is this medical advice?
No. Odainn is educational. It doesn't diagnose, interpret test results or replace your doctor — it helps you know what to ask about.
What does the name Odainn mean?
It's Old Norse for "undying" (ódáinn), and we say it "oh-DAYN". In the sagas, Ódáinsakr — the Field of the Undying — is a land where everyone who arrived became healthy and young, and no one died. We can't promise that. What we can do is show what is most likely to end a life early, and what helps. Odainn was called Aevum until October 2026.
What if reading about this is hard for me?
Some of the most common causes of death at younger ages — suicide, overdoses, alcohol — are among the most preventable. If you or someone you love is struggling, free and confidential help is available: findahelpline.com lists a line for every country.