The Statistics Behind Why Most Men Die First.

Why does this happen? It’s not a myth that men tend to die first or earlier compared to women. It is a fact recorded globally.

Every time there’s a heated debate online about why men should list beloved and certified wives as beneficiaries under their properties, men pop this question:

“Why are you assuming men will die first!?”

But Here’s What the Data in Kenya Says

Statistically, the average life expectancy for men is about 61.5 years, while for women it’s around 65.9 years in Kenya. It’s not just in Kenya, women tend to live longer globally.

For instance; In 2024, of all registered deaths, 126 were male for every 100 female deaths. This is definitely not because death prefers to pick men over women. This is because of various factors like health behaviors, lifestyle, and social conditioning.

Women outlive men by several years on average globally, with some up to 10 + years.

According to global health data, women live average 4–6 years longer than men in many countries. This has been consistent over decades.

Even in highly developed countries with advanced healthcare, men still tend to die earlier.

Why You May Ask:

In Kenya;

• Men never seek preventative care for ailments.

• A man will rarely do routine wellness check like blood pressure, sugars etc.

• Men in Kenya have high rates of alcohol intake, hence abuse.

• Men generally engage in risky occupations.

• Men are more likely to die from dangerous hobbies and other risky behaviors like motorbike over speeding, car racing, reckless driving, road rage, and skating stunts.

• Men are more likely to suppress their emotional distress.

• Men are documented to have higher premature cardiovascular, liver disease burdens.

• Most men will only go to the hospital when the pain becomes unbearable, and most times, it’s too late.

Many counties have a gap of 6 years, between Men and Women, some even have 10 years. For examples: Laikipia 12.7 yrs, Kitui 12.1 yrs, Kiambu 12 yrs.

So… yeah, listing a wife as next of kin and beneficiary is not a declaration that you, as the husband, must die first. It’s simply acknowledging statistical reality, and preparation isn’t being a pessimist.

If you marry right, there’s nothing to fear. Both of you can enlist each other when you have significant properties like homes and businesses, which relatives and friends tend to jump on immediately.

Although the idea of listing a wife as a beneficiary is what is heard of and rarely the other way round, this is mainly because when a wife dies, her brothers never come to try to inherit “her” properties, like when it’s vice versa.

Where the property is significant, and since people are clever nowadays, enlist your property in a trust to cover your children.

Because when death or sudden illness happens, we’ve seen confusion around: beneficiaries, hospital decisions, property access, children’s care, and financial control.

As a husband, you know some of your relatives cannot wait to throw your children out on the street the minute you’re gone. This is a reality we have seen in this country. Only your children’s mother can ensure that your children live a good, safe life in your absence. Even most fathers, once widowed, fail on this.

This is, of course, not the case for all men; many husbands live longer than their wives in Kenya, with some reaching over 90 years, like Moi did.

Final Thought

Maybe the worry is not that men die earlier. Maybe men are slowly dying while pretending they are okay. Trying to be tough.

ARE YOU OKAY?

How can I help you? How can your women help you?

A Healthier Future for You as a Man Begins with This:

• Regular and earlier checkups of blood pressure, sugars, liver & kidney function, cholesterol, and prostate health.
• Choosing healthier coping mechanisms.
• Emotional openness, which comes from having supportive friendships.
• Better balanced diet, not just chrome and choma every day that ends with a y.
• Less substance and drug abuse.

Longevity begins with the choices we are making every day.