Women generally pay lower life insurance premiums than men of the same age, health status, and coverage amount. The primary reason is actuarial: women have a longer average life expectancy than men in the United States — approximately 79.3 years for women compared to 73.5 years for men, according to CDC data. Because life insurance premiums are fundamentally based on mortality risk (the probability of death during the coverage period), lower mortality risk translates directly to lower premiums.
The life expectancy gap between men and women reflects differences in biology, behavior, and health outcomes. Men have statistically higher rates of heart disease at younger ages, are more likely to die from accidents and injuries, have higher rates of certain cancers, and are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. These factors collectively create higher mortality risk that is reflected in insurance pricing. The gap narrows at older ages but persists throughout the typical insurance-buying years.
Insurance carriers use gender as one of many factors in their actuarial pricing models, which also include age, health status, tobacco use, family medical history, occupation, and lifestyle. While gender-based pricing is legal and standard practice in life insurance in all U.S. states (unlike some other types of insurance where gender-based pricing has been restricted), the premium difference is typically 15% to 30%, with the gap widening at older ages when mortality differences are more pronounced.
For Tennessee families, this gender-based pricing means that insuring both spouses is generally more affordable than many expect, since the lower cost for the female spouse partially offsets the total premium. All illustrative rates and comparisons are subject to individual underwriting by the issuing carrier. Actual premiums vary by carrier and individual factors.